Some results of investigations of aurorae and night airglow during the I.G.Y. and I.G.C.

A general review is given of the results of the airglow and auroral investigations during I.G.Y and I.G.C. in the Institute for Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. A strong helium emission at 10830 Å has been discovered in sunlit aurorae and in the ordinary twilight airglow. It is now observed regularly. A detailed theory of this fluorescent emission has been developed. Extensive observations on the hydroxyl bands between 5000 and 12,000 Å have been carried out at a number of stations. Marked seasonal and geographical variations have been found in them. During intense aurorae the line-width of the 6300 Å emission from great altitudes increases. The effect has been studied using Fabry-Perot interferometers. Contributions have been made to knowledge on auroral morphology. The interpretation of some of the results which are described in the review are discussed.     

C.T.R. Wilson and the cloud chamber

A brief history of C.T.R. Wilson’s invention of the cloud chamber is presented. Initially, the research programme concerned the origin of the atmospheric phenomena he had experienced as a temporary meteorological observer on Ben Nevis. As his understanding of the physical conditions under which the condensation of water droplets took place from supersaturated water vapour developed, he realised that the technique provided the first way of imaging the tracks of the charged particles released by X-rays, in radioactive decays and in nuclear interactions.