A comparison of methods to estimate particle size distribution parameters and associated errors from multiwavelength optical coefficients

Summary form only given. Under certain a priori assumptions, ground-based lidar can in principle determine both the volume backscatter coefficient /spl beta/(/spl lambda/) and extinction coefficient /spl alpha/(/spl lambda/). From these coefficients, we can estimate the underlying aerosol density n(r) within Mie theory. However, as is well known, serious problems result from the ill-posed nature of the Mie kernels and the inversion must be augmented by additional physical assumptions resulting in additional sources of measurement error.