We use OPAC for description of external and/or internal mixture of aerosol components; it is still one of the best. you can make your own classification criteria;

It may be worth checking out Libradtran (http://www.libradtran.org/). It may lack some detail in aerosols, but it's rather easy to use.

Hi Anca,

unfortunately, the best package is the one that you'll build for your own aerosols... The inputs to be considered (shape, mineral composition, size distribution) need to reproduce quite closely the aerosol to be modeled. As already answered, for spheres you can use Mie based software (like mieplot). For other shapes, take a look on AERONET web page and on the Oleg Dubovik and Michael Mishchenko papers. After that you'll need to combine your inputs on size distribution and refractive indexes, as OPAC software does for some aerosols..I don't know exactly what are your needs in modeling, but I'll be glad to help you, please don't hesitate to contact me for further details.

I suggest you use software OPAC: http://rascin.net/sites/default/files/downloads/OPAC.pdf

We (CM SAF) use also OPAC, it is not really new, but still a good tool.

I used to treat a chemistry transport model output (3D) of CHIMERE using AODEM, we can simulate with external, internal or core shell, http://people.isac.cnr.it/~landi/PhD.html

If you use OPAC and calculate your optical properties for different relative humidities, please consider the revised hygroscopic growth parameterization, since there is a bug in the growth factors used in OPAC:

http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/13/10609/2013/acp-13-10609-2013.html

Zieger, P., Fierz-Schmidhauser, R., Weingartner, E., and Baltensperger, U.: Effects of relative humidity on aerosol light scattering: results from different European sites, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10609-10631, doi:10.5194/acp-13-10609-2013, 2013.

You might want to have a look at ADIENT web site

http://www.met.rdg.ac.uk/~adient

to get information on the refractive index of different aerosols. Most of the information there comes from observations by the (UK) Met Office Research Flight.

Use OPAC software.

AEROgui might be useful: http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00162.1

Parisa, e-mail me at [email protected]

I have prepared a folder to help you out

I am developing this tool (FlexAOD) for post-processing model results:

http://pumpkin.aquila.infn.it/flexaod/