Ice crystal morphological complexity and asymmetry parameter: Implications for light scattering measurements.

The retrieval of asymmetry parameter often relies on comparison with light scattering models. Here, we present a model-free algorithm for retrieving the asymmetry parameter of ice crystals from polar nephelometer measurements. In addition, we introduce the so-called Cp parameter for defining the degree of morphological complexity of ice crystals. The Cp is defined in such a way that it measures the decay rate of coefficients for Legendre expansion of the angular scattering function. It was found that the Cp parameter is strongly correlated with the distortion parameter of the ice crystal models. The effectiveness of Cp is validated using a case study on rimed particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]