Atmospheric Hydrometeors
Research group Dr. Miklós Szakáll and Dr. Karoline Diehl
Our group is based at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Mainz. In the wind tunnel laboratory, we study atmospheric hydrometeors such as cloud and rain drops, ice crystals, snow flakes, graupels and hailstones.
The main facility of the laboratory is the Mainz vertical wind tunnel where we can freely float hydrometeors in the air stream of the tunnel. Simultaneously, we can set and continuously record various factors such as wind speed (max. 40 m/s), temperature (-30 to +30°C), humidity (up to saturation) and the concentrations of trace gases or aerosol particles, allowing us to simulate atmospheric processes as realistically as possible.
For experiments in the ice phase at temperatures down to -90°C there is a walk-in cold chamber with an integrated deep-freezing box. Hydrometeors can be investigated in horizontal and vertical flow tubes and freely suspended in an acoustic or electrodynamic levitator.
These experiments are designed to enhance our knowledge of various fundamental cloud physics and atmospheric chemical processes.