PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
OF STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOLS AT 110,000 FT
PETER LOYSEN
Health and Safety Laboratory, U. S. Atomic
Energy Commission, New York, N. Y.
ABSTRACT
Aerosoi samples collected directly on electron-microscope specimen
grids were used to determine the size of stratospheric particles at an
altitude of about 110,000 ft. The samples, which were obtained as part
of balloon flight tests of an experimental electrostatic-precipitator
sampler during the period from October 1961 through June 1963, were
photomicrographed and counted for determination of size distributions.
The median particle diameters determined from these tests were in
the range 0.002 to 0.13 y.
Prior to these tests information about the size of stratospheric
aerosols was available only for altitudes below 100,000 ft. Since parti-
cle size information is important in determining the performance requirements of stratospheric air-sampling equipment that may be used
at altitudes up to 150,000 ft, it is needed in both the design and the
testing of such equipment. The Health and Safety Laboratory (HASL) is
continuing its stratospheric-particle studies with the objective of obtaining information about size distributions over the complete range of
balloon-sampling altitudes from 60,000 to 150,000 ft.
INTRODUCTION
The need for stratospheric particle size data is evident. In addition to being a basic requirement for data as input to weapons-debris
transport and fallout predictions, particle size determines the performance
requirements of stratospheric air-sampling devices to an
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