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Nature of Atmospherics

Abstract

THE purpose of this note is to clear up some confusion which appears to exist concerning the average duration of atmospherics. Appleton, Watson Watt and Herd1, and also Cairns2 give times of the order of milliseconds for the duration of the atmospherics which they observed. On the other hand, observations which have been made in Australia using an ordinary tuned receiving set, and recording the motion of the string of an Einthoven galvanometer on moving photographic paper, have given durations ranging, in most cases, from 0.2 sec. to 0.5 sec., and occasionally longer. This is also the order of magnitude of duration which is deduced from listening to an ordinary broadcast receiver.

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References

  1. Proc. Roy. Soc., 111, 165, 654 ; 1926.

  2. Proc. Inst. Rod. Eng., 15, 985 ; 1927.

  3. Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 143, 654 ; 1934.

  4. NATURE, 131, 765, May 27, 1933.

  5. Phil. Mag., 15, 409 ; 1933.

  6. Ann. Phys. u. Chem., 68, 776 ; 1899.

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MUNRO, G., WEBSTER, H. Nature of Atmospherics. Nature 134, 880 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134880b0

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