Hamish Gordon (CERN): Results from the CLOUD experiment

jeudi 2 juil. 2015, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Paris

Amphi Georges Charpak (LPNHE)

The aim of the CLOUD experiment is to determine whether cosmic rays have a strong enough effect on clouds to influence the Earth's climate. To achieve this requires a better understanding of the atmospheric aerosol particles that clouds can condense onto. Currently, the largest uncertainty on how much global warming we expect in the coming century is from uncertainties on the effect of these aerosol particles on clouds. The uncertainties are estimated by comparing different models of the atmosphere. CLOUD measurements can be used to determine the rate at which cloud seeds form in the atmosphere in one of these models, and this may help to constrain climate change predictions in the future. In addition, the role of ions from cosmic rays in cloud seed formation is now better understood. I will introduce the science, describe the experiment and the aerosol model GLOMAP, and explain the progress the collaboration has made in this area.

Transparents CLOUD_LPNHE_HGordon.pdf