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TEAM JUPITER. KATHERINE BLACKBURN· SETH BURLEIGH · JOSEPH TRAN. LaAces 2009-2010 Pre-Preliminary Design Review. MISSION GOAL.
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TEAM JUPITER KATHERINE BLACKBURN· SETH BURLEIGH · JOSEPH TRAN LaAces 2009-2010 Pre-Preliminary Design Review
MISSION GOAL Our goal is to investigate the causes of atmospheric electrical conductivity as a function of altitude. The launch will take place at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF), in Palestine, Texas on May 25, 2010.
DEFINITIONS • Alpha Particles-ionizing forms of particle radiation • Aerosols-Small particles made up of atoms which • cling to nuclei in the atmosphere • Cosmic Ray-rays of highly energized particles from space • Humidity-Clouds, haze or other moisture collection in the atmosphere • Laminar Flow-flow of particles in a uniform direction • Shot Noise-Noise in the voltage measurement due to ions directly striking the inner electrode
SCIENCE GOALS • See if there exists any correlations between air conductivity and cosmic ray activity • Show uncharacteristic fluctuations in conductivity due to meteorological • events • Compare general profiles of temperature, pressure, humidity, and altitude with conductivity
SCIENCE BACKGROUND • WHAT IS ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY? • The measure of • positive and • negative ions in • the atmosphere • Generally increases • with altitude Figure 1- Altitude as a function of conductivity. Most of the potential drop of the atmosphere occurs near the surface. Adapted from Reference 2.
SCIENCE BACKGROUND • WHAT AFFECTS ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY? • Pollution level of air (e.g. aerosols) • Increased radiation in an area (e.g. cosmic • rays on the atmosphere) • Wind, pressure, moisture, and humidity • (i.e. factors that affect ion mobility) • IMPLICATIONS? • Cloud formations • Thunderstorms
SCIENCE BACKGROUND • PAST PROJECTS • Pollution measurements • based on surface • conductivity in • Mysore, India • Balloon payload in • Antarctica (Figure 2) Figure 2 – There is a quasi-sinusoidal behavior of the electrical field with respect to time as shown above. Adapted from Reference 2.
SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS • Must be able to sense small changes to see • uncharacteristic changes from surface to • 100,000 feet • Altitude and time must be measured • Cosmic ray intensity and atmospheric • conductivity data needs to be compared • for possible correlations
TECHNICAL GOALS • Measurement will occur from surface level to 100,000 feet • Target ascent rate is 1000 feet per minute • Altitude, temperature, cosmic ray count, windspeed, and humidity will need to be measured
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND THEORY OF OPERATION: VOLTAGE DECAY • Sample 1-2 Hz for 5-20 seconds • Reset Voltage
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Equation 3 – Conductivity vs. exponential fit time constant Equation 4 – Capacitor current vs. combined Gerdien and measurement capacitance and change in outer-inner cylinder voltage Equation 5 – Conductivity Equation 6 – Theoretical cylindrical capacitor capacitance Equation - Gerdien capacitor current given V (outer voltage- inner voltage), L (length), a (conductivity), b(inner radius), and a (outer radius) Equation - Critical mobility - the minimum ion mobility (drift velocity/electric field) that will be captured by the gerdien capacitor
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND CRITICAL MOBILITY, ION CURRENT, BIAS VOLTAGE
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS • A voltage-sampling rate of 1 hertz (Hz) per 10 seconds (s) • Memory of 4050 bytes • At lower conductance (around 100 femtoSiemens) a 12 bit analog to digital converter with a 5 voltage (V) • The end of the inner electrode must be bullet shaped to promote laminar flow
REFERENCES (1/2) K. Nagaraja, B.S.N. Prasad, N. Srinivas, M.S. Madhava, Electrical conductivity near the Earth's surface: Ion-aerosol model, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Volume 68, Issue 7, April 2006, Pages 757-768, (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/ B6VHB-4JDMR5M-1/2/607a27d56c6adbf8ce265ea1ad0d8e0a) E.A. Bering, A.A. Few, J.R. Benbrook, The Global electric circuit, Journal of Physics Today, Volume 51, Issue 10, 1998, Pages 24-30 N. Ragini, T.S. Shashikumar, M.S. Chandrashekara, J. Sannappa, L. Paramesh, Temporal and vertical variations of atmospheric electrical conductivity related to radon and its progeny concentrations at Mysore, Indian Journal of Radio & Space Physics, Volume 37, August 2008, Pages 264-271 K.L. Aplin, A novel technique to determine atmospheric ion mobility spectra, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, January 2005, (arXiv:physics/0501129v1) K.L. Aplin, Instrumentation for atmospheric ion measurements, University of Reading Department of Meteorology, August 2000, Pages 1-274
REFERENCES (2/2) J.P. Scott and W.H. Evans, The electrical conductivity of clouds, Journal of Pure and Applied Geophysics, Volume 75, Issue 1, December 1969, Pages 219-232 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/x804k7123mqhn3r5/) R.G. Harrison, A.J. Bennett, Cosmic ray and air conductivity profiles retrieved from early twentieth century balloon soundings of the lower troposphere, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Volume 69, November 2006, Pages 515-527 K.A. Nicholl, R.G. Harrison, A double gerdien instrument for simultaneous bipolar air conductivity measurements on balloon platforms, Journal of Review of Scientific Instruments, Volume 79, August 2008 K.L. Aplin, R.G. Harrison, A computer-controlled gerdien atmospheric ion counter, Journal of Review of Scientific Instruments, Volume 71, Issue 8, August 2000 B. Balsey, (2009). Aerosol size distribution . Retrieved from http://cires.colorado.edu/science/groups/balsley/research/aerosol-distn.html