Characterization of aerosols

An optical system for characterizing an aerosol, the optical system comprising:

• an exterior surface having a flat shape;
• a first source mounted on the exterior surface or within the one or more recesses and configured to emit a first electromagnetic radiation pulse and illuminate aerosol particles with the first electromagnetic pulse, and wherein the first electromagnetic radiation pulse has a first wavelength range;
• a second source mounted on the exterior surface or within the one or more recesses extending from the exterior surface and configured to emit a second electromagnetic radiation pulse and illuminate the aerosol particles with the second electromagnetic pulse, and wherein the second electromagnetic radiation pulse has a second wavelength range that is different from the first wavelength range;
• one or more sensors mounted on the exterior surface, within the one or more recesses extending from the exterior surface, or both, wherein the one or more sensors is configured to receive one or more first electromagnetic radiation returns, one or more second electromagnetic radiation returns, or a combination of one or more first electromagnetic radiation returns and one or more second electromagnetic radiation returns, and wherein the one or more first electromagnetic radiation returns are scattered by the aerosol particles illuminated by the first electromagnetic radiation pulse and the one or more second electromagnetic radiation returns are scattered by the aerosol particles illuminated by the second electromagnetic radiation pulse;
• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable memory encoded with instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
• illuminate aerosol particles located within a measurement volume that is exterior to the optical system with the first electromagnetic radiation pulse;
• receive the one or more first electromagnetic radiation returns at the one or more sensors;
• illuminate the aerosol particles within the measurement volume with the second electromagnetic radiation pulse;
• receive the one or more second electromagnetic radiation returns at the one or more sensors;
• determine at least one first intensity based on the one or more first electromagnetic radiation returns received by the one or more sensors;
• determine at least one second intensity based on the one or more second electromagnetic radiation returns received by the one or more sensors;
• determine an aerosol parameter indicative of an average diameter of the aerosol particles or a concentration of the aerosol particles, the aerosol parameter based on an algorithm, the at least one first intensity, the at least one second intensity;
• and
• output the aerosol parameter for characterizing the aerosol.