Extensive aircraft measurements of the electrical conductivity of the atmosphere in fair weather were carried out over widely separated areas in the United States between February and November, 1950. Instrumentation of the plane is briefly discussed. The positive and negative conductivities were found to be equal throughout the altitude range of 35,000 feet investigated. The results are compared with those obtained earlier by other investigators. An expression for the electrical conductivity is derived on the basis of Thomson's theory of volume recombination of oppositely charged small‐ions, making use of Sayers' experimental results for air. This expression, taking into consideration the dependence of ionic mobility on temperature and pressure, together with the assumption that the smallion production above the first few kilometers is due entirely to cosmic rays, gives values in excellent agreement with those observed on the B‐17 and the B‐29 aircraft.
The influence of charge on an aircraft on airborne conductivity measurements has been investigated. The results of experiments carried out in the laboratory and on aircraft are presented and analyzed. It was found that if the ions under investigation were disturbed only by charge on the air intake to the measuring condenser, then the measured conductivity was a simple function of the electric field at the intake. The conditions under which this simple relation no longer holds are also discussed.
Charges large enough to introduce errors in measurements are present in fair weather while an aircraft is ascending and in ordinary clouds and mist. The analysis is applicable to any aircraft or balloon experiments where ion content or charge distribution is to be determined.
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