隆水要素の電荷の測定法について

抄録

A method of measuring the charges on single raindrops and snowflakes is stated. The method by a vacuum tube electrometer is simple, and is suited very well for field observations under thunderstorm or snowfall, using the method, charges on single raindrops and snowflakes were observed throughout 1954 and 1956 at Kiryu, Yokohama and Sapporo, simultaneously with their sizes and electric field intensity.
Following results are obtained,
a) Under active thunder clouds, a definite reverse relation exists between the sign of the charge on precipitation elements and that of the surface field, except during a short period when the sign of field changes.
b) During a quiet rainfall or snowfall, the field sign does not change, but the reverse relation is still observed. On the basis of the results, it is considered that only when the field intensity under the cloud base is large compared with the charge on precipitation elements within the clouds, the falling elements suffer a change in charge as a result of selective ion capture according to Wilson's induction mechanism, obtaining the charge of different sign from that of the surface field.