Atmospheric electrode effect: Approximate theory and wintertime observations

Summary The steady-state equations of the atmospheric electrode effect, i.e. the depletion of negative ions near the ground, are solved analytically in an approximate way. The presence of monodisperse aerosol is included. The method is based on the assumption that the positive ion density remains nearly, although not strictly, constant with height. The results show explicitly the effect of various parameters on the electrode layer. In particular, the height is directly proportional to the current density, and it depends on aerosol density only through the influence of the aerosol on the current density. The results are used to give a tentative explanation, in terms of the electrode effect, to an observed wintertime difference of the two polar conductivities.