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The approach to charge equilibrium in a stored aerosol during aging

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Summary

The approach during natural aging to charge equilibrium of an aerosol produced and stored in a polyester «Mylar» balloon gasometer with metallized internal surface and 4200 litres content is studied. The number of charged condensation nuclei at any instant is related to the number of charged nuclei present at the same moment in electrical equilibrium produced by alpha-irradiation of the aerosol.

It is shown that a stored aerosol consisting of small nuclei of moderate concentration is not later than 15 minutes after their birth in electrical equilibrium. With increasing size and concentration of the nuclei it takes longer and longer until the stored aerosol attains charge equilibrium. Stored large nuclei appear not to reach exact charge equilibrium even after several days.

The reasons for replacing the rubber balloon gasometer, used previously, by the Mylar balloon for this investigation are given.

In connection with the ionizing radiation required for producing charge equilibrium, the generation of condensation nuclei by alpha-radiation in stagnant and moving nucleus-free air has been investigated. It has been found that no condensation nuclei are being produced in filtered (nucleus-free) air for air-flows of between 0.1 and 20 litres/min in a tube of 4.2 cm diameter by the alpha-rays of Polonium 210 of about 125 μc.

Zusammenfassung

Es wurde die während natürlicher Alterung stattfindende Annäherung an das elektrische Gleichgewicht eines Aerosols, welches in einem «Mylar» Ballon-Gasometer aus Polyester mit metallisierter Innenfläche und von 4200 Litern Inhalt erzeugt und gespeichert wurde, studiert. Die in jedem Augenblick vorhandene Anzahl der geladenen Kondensationskerne wurde zu der Zahl der geladenen Kerne im elektrischen Gleichgewicht für den gleichen Moment in Beziehung gesetzt, welches durch Bestrahlung des Aerosols mit Alpha-Teilchen erzeugt wurde.

Es wird gezeigt, dass ein gespeichertes Aerosol, welches aus kleinen Kernen von mässiger Konzentration besteht, nicht später als 15 Minuten nach der Geburt der Teilchen im elektrischen Gleichgewicht ist. Mit zunehmender Grösse und Konzentration der Kerne dauert es länger und länger bis das gespeicherte Aerosol sein Gleichgewicht erreicht. Gespeicherte grosse Kerne scheinen selbst nach mehreren Tagen nicht das volle Gleichgewicht zu erreichen.

Die Gründe für die Einführung des Mylar Ballons statt des früher benützten Gummiballons werden gegeben.

In Zusammenhang mit der radioaktiven Bestrahlung, welche für die Erzeugung des Ladungsgleichgewichtes gebraucht wird, wurde die Produktion von Kondensationskernen durch Alpha-Teilchen in stagnierender und bewegter kernfreier Luft untersucht. Es wurde festgestellt, dass keine Kondensationskerne erzeugt werden, wenn kernfreie Luft, welche sich mit 0.1 bis 20 Litern per Minute durch ein Rohrsystem mit 4.2 cm Durchmesser bewegt, von Polonium 210 mit 125 μc bestrahlt wird.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Cosmic Physics in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 5, Merrion Square, Dublin, (Ireland)

    A. L. Metnieks

Authors
  1. L. W. Pollak
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  2. A. L. Metnieks
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Additional information

The research reported in this article has been supported in part by the Geophysics Research Directorate of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, through the European Office of the Air Research Division, United States Air Force under Contract AF 61 (052)-26 and by the Instrumentation Engineering Physics & Analysis Laboratory of the General Electric Co., Schenectady, New York under Retainer Agreement.

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Pollak, L.W., Metnieks, A.L. The approach to charge equilibrium in a stored aerosol during aging. Geofisica Pura e Applicata 51, 225–236 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01992665

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