Rocket-borne photometry of NLC particle populations Original Research Article

Photometric measurements from sounding rockets provide the opportunity to address various properties of noctilucent clouds (NLC). The photometer data are used for detecting the scattering layer and delineate its vertical structure. Moreover, the Stokes parameters of the scattered sunlight carry information about the size range and distribution of the NLC particles. However, the size information remains ambiguous. In this paper, we describe basic features of measuring the phase function, color ratio and polarization of the scattered sunlight. Photometric measurements are a direct complement to other simultaneous and co-located measurements from one and the same payload. Measurements performed during recent rocket campaigns are discussed as examples.