40 



OCEAN ATMOSPHERIC-ELECTRIC RESULTS 



The mean value found for K was 2.448 with a mean de- 

 parture of ±0.005. This is only a little greater than the 

 error of reading p or t and may be owing to the fact that 

 doubtless the observed temperature is not always that 

 inside the chamber. 



A comparison of the values of R obtained simultan- 

 eously on the two instruments indicates more scatter due 

 to instrumental causes than is desirable. This scatter 

 was greater in penetrating radiation apparatus 5503 

 than in penetrating radiation apparatus 1, possibly be- 

 cause the insulation in penetrating radiation apparatus 



Suggested hourly schedule for diurnal-variation 

 atmospheric-electric observations on the Carnegie 



Ship's 

 time 



Operation 



h m s 

 28 00 



33 00 

 34 00 

 35 00 

 36 00 

 37 00 

 37 20 

 37 30 

 39 00 

 39 15 

 40 30 

 40 45 

 41 00 

 45 00 

 45 15 

 45 30 

 46 00 

 47 00 

 47 15 

 50 30 

 51 00 

 51 30 

 51 45 

 53 00 

 53 25 

 54 00 



55 00 



1 05 00 

 1 06 00 

 1 06 20 

 1 07 00 

 1 08 00 

 1 08 30 

 1 09 00 

 1 09 30 

 1 12 45 

 1 13 00 

 1 14 00 

 1 14 30 

 1 14 45 

 1 15 00 

 1 19 00 

 1 19 15 

 1 19 30 

 1 20 45 

 1 21 00 

 1 22 30 

 1 22 40 

 1 23 00 

 1 24 00 

 1 25 00 

 1 26 00 

 1 27 00 



Charge penetrating radiation apparatus (PRA) 

 5503 and start ion -counter motor and conduc- 

 tivity motor 



First initial reading PRA 5503 



Second initial reading PRA 5503 



Third initial reading PRA 5503 



Fourth initial reading PRA 5503 



Fifth initial reading PRA 5503 



Begin leak-test for ion counter (IC) 



Begin leak-test for conductivity apparatus (CA) 



End leak-test for IC 



Begin negative ion count 



End leak -test for CA 



Begin negative conductivity 



Begin first PRA 1 run 



(Approx.) end negative conductivity 



(Approx.) end negative ion count 



Begin positive ion count 



Begin positive conductivity 



End first PRA 1 run 



Begin second PRA 1 run 



(Approx.) end positive conductivity 



Begin conductivity leak-test 



(Approx.) end positive ion count 



Begin leak -test IC 



(Approx.) end PRA 1 second run 



End leak-test IC 



End leak-test CA 



Begin nuclei count 



End nuclei count 



Begin leak-test CA 



Begin leak -test IC 



Begin PRA 1 run 



End leak-test IC 



Begin positive ion count 



End leak-test CA 



Begin positive conductivity run 



(Approx.) end PRA 1 run 



Begin PRA 1 run 



End positive conductivity run 



End positive ion count 



Begin negative ion count 



Begin negative conductivity run 



End PRA 1 run 



End negative conductivity run 



Begin leak-test CA 



End negative ion count 



Begin leak -test IC 



End leak -test CA 



End leak -test IC 



First end reading PRA 5503 



Second end reading PRA 5503 



Third end reading PRA 5503 



Fourth end reading PRA 5503 



Fifth end reading PRA 5503 



5503 has not as yet become steady. There was evidence 

 of improvement in the later readings. There is good 

 evidence, however, of correlated variations in the two 

 instruments which most probably are owing to actual 

 variation in the intensity of the radiation. In order to 

 increase the precision of measurements with penetrat- 

 ing radiation apparatus 5503, it is recommended that 

 five initial and five final readings of the fibers be made 

 as indicated in the accompanying hourly schedule. 



The importance of penetrating radiation to atmos- 

 pheric electricity has been increased distinctly as a 

 result of a recent experiment by Dr. Bothe and Dr. Kol- 

 horster of Berlin. This experiment shows rather con- 

 vincingly that the penetrating radiation (except such part 

 as is owing to the gamma rays of radioactive matter in 

 the earth and air) is a corpuscular radiation, beta radi- 

 ation of very high velocity. If this is true, the penetrat- 

 ing radiation should not only ionize the air but should 

 charge the earth. Perhaps we are now on the verge of 

 discovering how the negative charge of the earth is main- 

 tained and the Carnegie stands a good chance of aiding 

 materially in this.l 



Radioactive Content Apparatus 4. - -A new water - 

 spray, high-potential generator designed to obviate the 

 fouling of insulation by the spray will be made and in- 

 stalled at San Francisco and our hope for its success is 

 strengthened by this detailed repwrt of tests and obser- 

 vations made on board in March. 



Nuclei Counter 5. --The success of observations of 

 nuclei is gratifying. That the values should run as high 

 as those found on approaching Tahiti is a matter of con- 

 siderable impKDrtance in attempts to account for the num- 

 ber of ions found at the same time. 



Schedule of Atmospheric-Electric Observations. - - 

 The schedule of observations now in use has been re- 

 viewed with considerable care. It has been found difficult 

 to offer improvements without making the program more 

 strenuous. It is appreciated that a program which one 

 observer may carry out is desirable, and no doubt im- 

 perative in the case of the diurnal-variation observations. 

 Hence, in preparing the accompanying suggested sched- 

 ule, this requirement has been kept in mind. 



The principal objects sought in the suggested sched- 

 ule are to obtain both positive and negative values of 

 ionic numbers and of conductivity during the diurnal- 

 variation runs, to observe the nuclei count at about the 

 mean time of the other observations, and to increase the 

 precision of the penetrating radiation observations made 

 with penetrating radiation apparatus 5503. The last is to 

 be accomplished first by charging this apparatus some 

 five to ten minutes before the initial readings for a de- 

 termination are begun. Then by taking initial readings 

 of the position of the fibers at intervals of one minute 

 until five minutes have elapsed (half-minute intervals 

 could be used if preferred), and a similar set of final 

 readings, the accidental errors in the mean fiber posi- 

 tions obtained from these would be reduced considerably. 



It is believed that the outline of the suggested sched- 

 ule will be clear as tabulated. The schedule is a some- 

 what more strenuous one than that which has been fol- 

 lowed recently, and we realize the possibility that it may 

 not be feasible, on that account, to carry it through. 



This proposed schedule was designed primarily for 



^Since this was written, investigations by many 

 physicists show that the corpuscular components of cos- 

 mic radiation cannot contribute appreciably to the main- 

 tenance of the earth's charge. O.H.G. 



