Asymmetry parameter

The optical property of a particle present in the atmosphere that most largely affects a planets climate is the asymmetry parameter, g. The asymmetry parameter represents a particles light scattering properties. One way scientists have been able to determine the value of g for CO2 crystals in Mar’s atmosphere is by growing the CO2 crystals in a cold chamber and shooting radiation at them to determine their scattering and absorption properties. This is a pretty cool technique because this information can be used when determining the depth of the polar ice caps.