Background and early results for the Atmospheric Electrical Current Sensor Project

摘要

This thesis describes the background behind and early results from an instrument designed to measure atmospheric electrical currents. Preliminary data presented herein (including the marked similarity in the signals from the two arrays, the noticeable Carnegie curve, and the correlation between the measured electric field and current at the same site) demonstrate the proper functioning of the instrument. A description of global circuit theory and Antarctic climate illuminate the deployment decisions. Also presented are a preliminary study suggesting that the instrument is affected by the presence of an electrode layer, and some of the mathematical and theoretical relationships required to determine physical variables from the raw data.