A computer-controlled Gerdien atmospheric ion counter
- 31 July 2000
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Review of Scientific Instruments
- Vol. 71 (8) , 3037-3041
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1305511
Abstract
Accurate measurements of atmospheric ions are desirable in order to investigate atmospheric aerosol processes. A cylindrical capacitor ion counter is described which has a flexible computerized control system, to allow selection of ion mobility by changing the bias voltage across the capacitor. Ion measurements obtained correlate well with the ionization rate measured with an adjacent Geiger counter in clean air. Measurements of air ions using the device in current and voltage decay modes show consistent results. The collecting electrode is exposed directly in the air stream to be sampled, eliminating diffusive losses in intake tubes. The system can measure ion concentrations from 20 ions (including typical atmospheric concentrations) and can sample ions rapidly. These characteristics enable comprehensive air conductivity measurements to be made.
Keywords
This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- An electrical method of urban pollution measurementJournal of Aerosol Science, 1998
- Calculation of electrical conductivity from ion‐aerosol balance equationsJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 1997
- A noise-rejecting current amplifier for surface atmospheric ion flux measurementsReview of Scientific Instruments, 1997
- Ground level measurements of air conductivities under Florida thunderstormsJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 1992
- The charging of radioactive aerosolsJournal of Aerosol Science, 1992
- The conductivity of the air and other electrical parameters in relation to meteorological elements and air pollution in AthensArchiv für Meteorologie, Geophysik und Bioklimatologie Serie A, 1991
- Errors in the gerdien measurement of atmospheric electric conductivityArchiv für Meteorologie, Geophysik und Bioklimatologie Serie A, 1991
- On the Calibration of Conductivity MetersReview of Scientific Instruments, 1953