STRUCTURE AND MODIFICATION OF CLOUDS AND FOGS.

Abstract

Atmospheric electric experiments in the first kilometer of the atmosphere have demonstrated the feasibility of direct measurement of the potential of the ionosphere. In the laboratory investigations have been completed on inductive charge transfer during particle collisions and on the conditions under which sparks can be produced between clouds of charged particles. Two studies have been carried out on ice nucleation by silver iodide. Dry ice seeding of the clear air has resulted in the production of ice crystal clouds in only 3 percent of the experiments. These findings are discussed. Thousands of drops (of about 4.5 mm diameter) have been freely suspended in the giant vertical wind tunnel and a high speed camera has been used to study wake interactions. Theoretical work has been carried out on the interaction and growth of raindrops in the upper part of updrafts in thunderstorms. An experimental study has shown it might be possible to account for exponential dropsize distributions in heavy rain on the basis of raindrop breakup. An investigation on the water-to-air transfer of bacteria by jet drops from bursting bubbles has indicated that the jet drops are extremely efficient in skimming bacteria from the surface layer of the water. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1969
Accession Number
AD0707507

Entities

People

  • Bernard Vonnegut
  • Duncan C. Blanchard
  • Robert A. Cudney

Organizations

  • State University of New York

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bacteria
  • Cameras
  • Charge Transfer
  • Charged Particles
  • Collisions
  • Drops
  • High Speed Cameras
  • Particle Collisions
  • Particles
  • Raindrops
  • Wind Tunnels

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.