Traces of NO 3 ′ ions contained in ice crystals influence charge separation upon crystal fragmentation

Summary If needle-shaped ice crystals are grown in an atmosphere containing traces of nitrous gases, the amount of electrical charge generated when sharp crystal points break away, is between 10 and 50 times as high as in the case of crystals grown in absence of nitrous gases A definite relation has been found to exist between the NO₃ ion concentration of the ice crytals and the amount of charge (average value 2.7×10^–8, maximum value 13×10^–8 coulombs per gram of ice splinters) generated upon fragmentation. The relation found is possibly of importance with respect to thunderstorm electricity generation.Physikalisch-Bioklimatische Forschungsstelle der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Garmisch-Partenkirchen.