Articles | Volume 19, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12875-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12875-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Oct 2019
Research article |
| 16 Oct 2019
| 16 Oct 2019
A new parameterization scheme for the real part of the ambient urban aerosol refractive index
Gang Zhao
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking
University, Beijing, China
Tianyi Tan
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution
Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking
University, Beijing 100871, China
Weilun Zhao
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking
University, Beijing, China
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution
Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking
University, Beijing 100871, China
Ping Tian
Beijing Key Laboratory of Cloud, Precipitation and Atmospheric Water
Resources, Beijing 100089, China
Chunsheng Zhao
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking
University, Beijing, China
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Cited
23 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of combustion conditions on physical and morphological properties of biomass burning aerosol R. Pokhrel et al. 10.1080/02786826.2020.1822512
- Study on the Angle and Wavelength Dependent Scattering Signals Characteristics according to the Total Aerosol Mass Concentration Changes Y. Noh et al. 10.5572/KOSAE.2023.39.1.94
- Insights into the real part of natural sea spray aerosol refractive index in the Pacific Ocean C. Fan et al. 10.5194/acp-25-5761-2025
- A review of measurement techniques for aerosol effective density L. Peng et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146248
- Method to quantify black carbon aerosol light absorption enhancement with a mixing state index G. Zhao et al. 10.5194/acp-21-18055-2021
- Larger than expected variation range in the real part of the refractive index for ambient aerosols in China G. Zhao et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146443
- A novel method to quantify the uncertainty contribution of aerosol–radiation interaction factors B. He & C. Zhao 10.5194/acp-25-7765-2025
- Size-resolved effective density of ambient aerosols measured by an AAC–SMPS tandem system in Beijing J. Lu et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120226
- Strong light scattering of highly oxygenated organic aerosols impacts significantly on visibility degradation L. Liu et al. 10.5194/acp-22-7713-2022
- Determination of equivalent black carbon mass concentration from aerosol light absorption using variable mass absorption cross section W. Zhao et al. 10.5194/amt-14-1319-2021
- Secondary aerosol formation alters CCN activity in the North China Plain J. Tao et al. 10.5194/acp-21-7409-2021
- Current Challenges in Visibility Improvement in Sichuan Basin G. Zhao et al. 10.1029/2022GL098836
- Determination of the refractive index of ambient aerosols G. Zhao et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117800
- A method for estimating the ratio of aerosol mass concentration to the imaginary part of the atmospheric complex refractive index and its application R. Yuan et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105848
- Measurement report: Size-resolved particle effective density measured by an AAC-SMPS and implications for chemical composition Y. Song et al. 10.5194/acp-25-4755-2025
- Size-resolved refractive index of scattering aerosols in urban Beijing: A seasonal comparison Y. Wu et al. 10.1080/02786826.2021.1924357
- Retrieval of refractive index and water content for the coating materials of aged black carbon aerosol based on optical properties: a theoretical analysis J. Liu et al. 10.5194/acp-24-12341-2024
- Measurements of the Optical Scattering Properties of Single Suspended Particles and Implications for Atmospheric Studies: A Review W. Yao et al. 10.1007/s40726-024-00323-9
- A metasurface for linear-to-circular polarization conversion and sensing based on quasi-BIC F. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.physe.2024.116128
- Predicting Real Refractive Index of Organic Aerosols From Elemental Composition Y. Li et al. 10.1029/2023GL103446
- Refractive index enhancement by secondary organic aerosol formation in humid southern China challenges model assumptions J. Shen et al. 10.5194/acp-25-11233-2025
- Real-time retrieval of aerosol chemical composition using effective density and the imaginary part of complex refractive index S. Wang et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117959
- Parameterization of the ambient aerosol refractive index with source appointed chemical compositions G. Zhao et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156573
23 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of combustion conditions on physical and morphological properties of biomass burning aerosol R. Pokhrel et al. 10.1080/02786826.2020.1822512
- Study on the Angle and Wavelength Dependent Scattering Signals Characteristics according to the Total Aerosol Mass Concentration Changes Y. Noh et al. 10.5572/KOSAE.2023.39.1.94
- Insights into the real part of natural sea spray aerosol refractive index in the Pacific Ocean C. Fan et al. 10.5194/acp-25-5761-2025
- A review of measurement techniques for aerosol effective density L. Peng et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146248
- Method to quantify black carbon aerosol light absorption enhancement with a mixing state index G. Zhao et al. 10.5194/acp-21-18055-2021
- Larger than expected variation range in the real part of the refractive index for ambient aerosols in China G. Zhao et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146443
- A novel method to quantify the uncertainty contribution of aerosol–radiation interaction factors B. He & C. Zhao 10.5194/acp-25-7765-2025
- Size-resolved effective density of ambient aerosols measured by an AAC–SMPS tandem system in Beijing J. Lu et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120226
- Strong light scattering of highly oxygenated organic aerosols impacts significantly on visibility degradation L. Liu et al. 10.5194/acp-22-7713-2022
- Determination of equivalent black carbon mass concentration from aerosol light absorption using variable mass absorption cross section W. Zhao et al. 10.5194/amt-14-1319-2021
- Secondary aerosol formation alters CCN activity in the North China Plain J. Tao et al. 10.5194/acp-21-7409-2021
- Current Challenges in Visibility Improvement in Sichuan Basin G. Zhao et al. 10.1029/2022GL098836
- Determination of the refractive index of ambient aerosols G. Zhao et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117800
- A method for estimating the ratio of aerosol mass concentration to the imaginary part of the atmospheric complex refractive index and its application R. Yuan et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105848
- Measurement report: Size-resolved particle effective density measured by an AAC-SMPS and implications for chemical composition Y. Song et al. 10.5194/acp-25-4755-2025
- Size-resolved refractive index of scattering aerosols in urban Beijing: A seasonal comparison Y. Wu et al. 10.1080/02786826.2021.1924357
- Retrieval of refractive index and water content for the coating materials of aged black carbon aerosol based on optical properties: a theoretical analysis J. Liu et al. 10.5194/acp-24-12341-2024
- Measurements of the Optical Scattering Properties of Single Suspended Particles and Implications for Atmospheric Studies: A Review W. Yao et al. 10.1007/s40726-024-00323-9
- A metasurface for linear-to-circular polarization conversion and sensing based on quasi-BIC F. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.physe.2024.116128
- Predicting Real Refractive Index of Organic Aerosols From Elemental Composition Y. Li et al. 10.1029/2023GL103446
- Refractive index enhancement by secondary organic aerosol formation in humid southern China challenges model assumptions J. Shen et al. 10.5194/acp-25-11233-2025
- Real-time retrieval of aerosol chemical composition using effective density and the imaginary part of complex refractive index S. Wang et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117959
- Parameterization of the ambient aerosol refractive index with source appointed chemical compositions G. Zhao et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156573
Latest update: 31 Oct 2025
Short summary
Traditionally, the real part of the refractive index (RRI) of ambient aerosols is calculated by their chemical components. In this study, we demonstrate that the RRI is highly related to effective density rather than chemical components using field measurements. For the first time, a parameterization scheme for ambient aerosol RRI using effective density is proposed. This simple scheme is more reliable and ready to use in the calculation of aerosol optics and radiation.
Traditionally, the real part of the refractive index (RRI) of ambient aerosols is calculated by...
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