Frequency dependent complex refractive indices of supercooled liquid water and ice determined from aerosol extinction spectra

Complex refractive indices of supercooled liquid water at 240, 253, 263, and 273 K, and ice at 200, 210, and 235 K in the mid infrared from 460 to 4000 cm(-1) are reported. The results were obtained from the extinction spectra of small (micron-size) aerosol particles, recorded using the cryogenic flow tube technique. An improved iterative procedure for retrieving complex refractive indices from extinction measurements is described. The refractive indices of ice determined in the present study are in good agreement with data reported earlier. The temperature region and range of states covered in the present work are relevant to the study of upper tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols and clouds.