Atmospheric point discharge current measurements using a temperature-compensated logarithmic current amplifier

Marlton, G., Harrison, R. G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0693-347X and Nicoll, K. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5580-6325 (2013) Atmospheric point discharge current measurements using a temperature-compensated logarithmic current amplifier. Review of Scientific Instruments, 84 (6). 066103. ISSN 0034-6748 doi: 10.1063/1.4810849

Abstract/Summary

Measurements of atmospheric corona currents have been made for over 100 years to indicate the atmospheric electric field. Corona currents vary substantially, in polarity and in magnitude. The instrument described here uses a sharp point sensor connected to a temperature compensated bi-polar logarithmic current amplifier. Calibrations over a range of currents from ±10 fA to ±3 μA and across ±20 ◦C show it has an excellent logarithmic response over six orders of magnitude from 1 pA to 1 μA in both polarities for the range of atmospheric temperatures likely to be encountered in the southern UK. Comparison with atmospheric electric field measurements during disturbed weather confirms that bipolar electric fields induce corona currents of corresponding sign, with magnitudes ∼0.5 μA.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/32898
Identification Number/DOI	10.1063/1.4810849
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Uncontrolled Keywords	atmospheric electricity, electric current measurement, electric field measurement
Publisher	AIP
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