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A Screen‐Caged Thermocouple Psychrometer and Calibration Chamber for Measurements of Plant and Soil Water Potential
Author(s) -
Brown Ray W.,
Collins James M.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1980.00021962007200050036x
Subject(s) - hygrometer , thermocouple , calibration , environmental science , calibration curve , water vapor , evaporation , environmental chamber , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , environmental chemistry , humidity , thermodynamics , composite material , chromatography , mathematics , statistics , physics , organic chemistry , detection limit
Estimates of water potential with thermocouple psychrometers are subject to errors due to temperature gradients. The objective here is to describe the design and construction procedures of a new screen‐cage single‐junction psychrometer that minimize these errors. The screen‐cage design restricts entry of contaminants into the psychrometer cavity; allows rapid vapor equilibration between the sample and the psychrometer; and provides a 360° concentric evaporation surface that reduces the influence of vapor condensation due to temperature gradients. In addition, a calibration chamber that can also be used for plant and soil samples is described.