Condensation Method for Humidity Measurement in the UMR Cloud Simulation Chamber

Abstract

The University of Missouri-Rolla has developed a cloud simulation facility for the study of various atmospheric cloud processes. The initial relative humidity of the air sample put into the cloud chamber is a key parameter in virtually any experiment and needs to be known accurately. This report describes how the cloud simulation chamber itself has been used as a condensation type hygrometer to calibrate the system’s humidifier. Two distinct and physically different methods for inferring mixing ratio are used, one exploiting the sensitivity of aerosol activation to humidity, and the other exploiting the sensitivity of the rate of growth of cloud droplets to humidity. The two methods give agreement with each other to within a precision of one part per thousand in mixing ratio.