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Measurement of electric charge of cloud droplets, drizzle, and raindrops
Author(s) -
Takahashi Tsutomu
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/rg011i004p00903
Subject(s) - drizzle , cloud computing , cloud physics , meteorology , sketch , atmospheric electricity , physics , charge (physics) , environmental science , computer science , electric field , precipitation , algorithm , quantum mechanics , operating system
The purpose of this review is to survey recent work on the electricity of cloud droplets, drizzle, and raindrops and, in particular, to describe the instruments used in such observations. The review begins with a number of basic definitions and key questions in this area of cloud physics. A detailed description of instruments for the measurement of drop size and charge, both at the ground and in clouds, follows. The third section presents and interprets some of the data gathered with these instruments. We then sketch ongoing attempts to observe the charge distribution of the particles in relation to the cloud life cycle and to determine the size range of the particles that constitute the main charge carrier in the cloud. We conclude with a statement of three current goals of investigation.