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A photoelectric raindrop spectrometer
Author(s) -
Mason B. J.,
Ramanadham R.
Publication year - 1953
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49707934204
Subject(s) - spectrometer , photomultiplier , photoelectric effect , optics , calibration , physics , environmental science , remote sensing , detector , geology , quantum mechanics
An instrument which gives a continuous, automatic record of the size distribution of raindrops at ground level is described. The light scattered by the drops in falling through an optically defined area of a light beam is focused on to a photomultiplier cell and the resulting voltage pulses are sorted electronically into eight different size groups. The spectrometer is used to study the variation of the drop‐size spectrum with time and with the rate of rainfall. Calibration curves and some specimen results are presented.