Abstract
Two recent observations have provided the basis for study of a relationship between solar activity and the formation of small particles in the Earth's atmosphere: the discovery of annual increases of condensation nuclei (CN) at 30 km (refs 1–3) and the detection of sulphuric acid molecules in large negative ion clusters in the 25–35-km altitude region4–7. These observations have now led us to formulate and test a model wherein CN are formed in a ‘polar cloud chamber’ supersaturated with sulphuric acid vapour and triggered by ionization associated with solar flare cosmic radiation. We conclude that such a model provides a potential explanation of the observations.
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References
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Hofmann, D., Rosen, J. Condensation nuclei events at 30 km and possible influences of solar cosmic rays. Nature 302, 511–514 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/302511a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/302511a0
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