Charge-Size Measurement of Drizzle Drops in Warm Cloud

[摘要] The electric charge and size of drizzle drops were measured in-cloud along the Saddle Road between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. A newly developed instrument optically detects the size of drizzle drops from 120μ to 700μ in diameter. The minimum detectable drop charge, as measured by the induction method, is 1×10-5e.s.u.In warm clouds, 11% of the drizzle drops were charged more than 10-5e.s.u., and 90% of the electrified drizzle drops were charged negatively. In thunderclouds, 70% of the drizzle drops were charged more than 10-4 e.s.u. and 60% of the electrified drizzle drops were charged positively.

[学科分类] 大气科学