A Review and Discussion of Processing Algorithms for FSSP Concentration Measurements

Abstract

The forward-scattering spectrometer probe (FSSP) is an optical particle counter widely used for the measurement of cloud droplet size distributions and concentration. Previous studies have identified operational limitations of these probes and a number of techniques have been developed to minimize the impact of these limitations on the measurements. The majority of effort has been focused on accounting for droplets missed by the FSSP as a result of droplet coincidence and electronic dead time. This note reviews the algorithms that have been developed to account for these losses, describes how and when to apply them to previously acquired measurements, and recommends methods to improve the quality of future measurements.