Comprehensive data-reduction and analysis package for cloud and precipitation particle imager data.

In Phase I SPEC completed fabrication of a novel new instrument, the 3V-CPI, which makes high-speed size-distribution measurements and records high-resolution digital images of cloud particles. Also in Phase I SPEC continued to develop and improve software modules used to analyze 3V-CPI data. In Phase II SPEC anticipates working closely with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Research Aviation Department (RAF) to develop a fully functional 3V-CPI data reduction and analysis software package that is universally applicable, and marketable to potential users of 3V-CPI and other cloud particle probes. All software codes written under the proposed funding will be open source and shared with the scientific community. All NCAR analysis code is also available to SPEC and other users, so any products NCAR contributes as we work together will also be available to the user community. Complete documentation will be available so that Navy scientists can use this software to process and analyze 3V-CPI data (including other particle probe data). The software package developed during the Phase II research will perform many functions, including translating 3V-CPI data into a format that can be ingested by standard community software routines, including those of the NCAR RAF, development of a batch-processing software routine and new crystal-habit classification software routines using “canned” image processing techniques will be implemented from algorithms developed in the bio-medical and oceanic communities. The software package will be quality controlled and documented, including descriptions of software algorithms and procedures used to test and run the various software routines. The comprehensive software package developed during the Phase II research can be used to analyze data from all optical cloud particle probes and will therefore also become a product that is marketable to the atmospheric science community. Phase III will include conversion of portions of the software package from the IDL programming language (which requires that the user purchase an IDL license), to generic code that does not require any outside licenses.