Effects of temperature and humidity on the growth and optical properties of sulphuric acid—water droplets in the stratosphere

Theoretical calculations of the optical properties of equilibrium size sulphuric acid-water solution droplets under stratospheric conditions are presented. We evaluate the changes in the physical properties of the aerosol particles which accompany fluctuations in environmental temperature and humidity, and present them in tabular and graphical form. These results are used in conjunction with Mie scattering theory to show how the aerosol backscatter at 0.6943 μm wavelength and the aerosol extinction at 1.0 μm wavelength are affected by variations in the stratospheric temperature and humidity.