The department "Atmospheric Aerosol Research" of the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Our research focuses on the role of aerosols in the climate system, the hydrological cycle, and the environment.

The IMK-AAF operates the internationally renowned AIDA aerosol and cloud simulation chamber, runs laboratories for aerosol and cloud research, and participates in ground-based and aircraft field campaigns around the world

AIDA is a unique laboratory facility to investigate Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere. It consists of the “classic” atmospheric simulation chamber AIDAc which is in operation since 1997, and the new “dynamic” cloud simulation chamber AIDAd which came into operation early 2020.AIDAc covers a wide range of thermodynamic conditions for investigating atmospheric cloud, aerosol, and trace gas processes of importance for climate, weather, and air pollution. AIDA has a unique technical design with temperature-controlled walls to simulate and investigate tropospheric cloud processes at constant cooling rates up to 10 °C min-1.

The AIDA facility is one of the flagships within the research program of the Helmholtz Association. It is operated for both Helmholtz program topics and for dedicated research projects in collaboration with national and international partners.

Physical and virtual trans national access to the facility is provided and funded through the European Union via the EUROCHAMP2020 and ATMO-ACCESS projects. It also plays an import role for the development of the European Research Infrastructure ACTRIS and hosts its centre for cloud in situ measurements (CIS).

The facility is also used as a platform for instruments test, intercomparison and calibration activities.