THE EFFECTS OF PARTICLE RADIATION FROM A DISTURBED SUN ON ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY

Abstract

In Section I, it is shown, from a consideration of atmospheric-electric theory and of the radiation emitted from a disturbed Sun, that the corpuscular solar radiation has little effect on atmospheric-electric conditions at ground level.Though the aurora and associated bremsstrahlung ionization should have little or no effect at ground level, several observers have found some correlation. For this reason, experimental measurements of potential gradient and air conductivity were taken at Saskatoon and at Churchill to investigate any apparent relationship between the aurora and atmospheric electricity (Section II). Statistical analysis revealed no definite relationship between aurorae and potential gradients or air–earth current densities over the period of a night. Large fluctuations in potential gradient (and often of air conductivity) were encountered at night, sometimes even coincident with the occurrence of aurorae. However, these fluctuations were considered to be due to the formation of space-charge packets due to low wind speeds.