Revisiting the size of nonspherical particles recorded by optical array probes with a new method based on the convex hull

In recent years, the Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP) and Precipitation Imaging Probe (PIP) produced by Droplet Measurement Technologies (DMT) have been introduced by a number of meteorological research and operation centers in China. The supporting software provided by DMT, i.e., PADS (Particle Analysis and Display System), cannot output detailed information on each individual particle, which definitely limits the in-depth utilization of cloud and precipitation particle image data in China. In this paper, particle-by-particle information was extracted by decompressing the CIP and PIP original particle image data, based on which a new definition of the dimension for nonspherical particles is proposed by using the area of the convex hull enclosing a particle to obtain the equivalent diameter of a circle with equal area. Based on the data detected during one flight in Inner Mongolia, the particle size distribution obtained using the new particle size definition and that used by the other four existing definitions are compared. The results show that the particle number concentration calculated using different particle size definitions can vary by up to an order of magnitude. The result obtained based on the new particle size definition is closest to that calculated with the area-equivalent diameter definition.摘要 国内许多气象部门已引进美国DMT公司的云粒子图像探头 (CIP) 和降水粒子图像探头 (PIP) . 由于其配套软件不能输出逐个粒子的详细信息, 在很大程度上限制了对云降水粒子图像探测数据的深入挖掘. 通过解析CIP和PIP原始数据, 提出了一种基于包围粒子凸多边形的面积求取粒子尺度的新定义. 利用在内蒙古的一次航测数据, 对比分析了基于新定义及已有的四种粒子尺度定义求取的粒子尺度谱分布.