Workshop on current topics in mesospheric chemistry of aerosols and clouds

Location: KIT Karlsruhe
Date & time: 14.09.2010, 12:00 to 15.09.2010, 12:00
Organizers: Prof. Thomas Leisner (KIT) & Dr. Markus Eritt (KIT) email: markus.eritt@kit.edu

Topic

The workshop gathers leading experts in the field of microphysics and chemistry in the mesopause region (~90km height). Main goal is to identify currently open questions and hot topics of mesospheric processes that can be answered with simulation chamber experiments. Experimental feasibility and the relevance for the scientific community are going to be discussed. Observations at the molecular and atomic level at mesospheric heights are experimentally extremely difficult. Investigations in simulation chambers under mesospheric ambient conditions can overcome this obstacle. In our workshop we plan to discuss future projects concerning the heterogeneous chemistry in the formation of noctilucent clouds and microphysical causes for the associated large radar echos (PMSE). Furthermore catalytic processes on the surface of mesospheric nanoparticles and possible experiments will be addressed.