Using the Monte Carlo Markov Chain method to estimate contact parameter temperature dependence

Abstract : Wide temperature range datasets on deposition mode ice nucleation have revealed a strong dependence of the contact parameter m on temperature. This dependence varies from linear to exponential, depending on the experiment and the temperature range. We have analyzed three datasets using a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) method. The used method allows us to test and evaluate different functional forms for the temperature dependence of the contact parameter. This study (Määttänen and Douspis, 2014) provides a new framework, valid even for very small ice nucleus sizes, for analyzing heterogeneous nucleation datasets.