A Research Instrument for the Study of Raindrop-Size Spectra

Abstract

The photoelectric raindrop-size spectrometer, developed to meet the need in modern meteorology for detailed information about rain, is described. Operating with minimum physical disturbance of the rain field, the present instrument scans a 9.33-liter volume each second registering the size (surface area) and time of observation of each raindrop. The output of the instrument can be recorded in various stages of analysis by the use of electronic readout devices. Data obtained to date reveal interesting new information about the behavior of raindrop spectra and about the spatial distribution of drops in heavy shower rain.