Abstract
In a paper to be communicated to the American Physical Society it is assumed that the ionisation in the upper atmosphere is caused by the ultraviolet light of the Sun and that the ion- and electron-densities at noon at the equator are those required by the theory of wireless wave-propagation. From the laws of recombination of the ions and the diffusion and drift of the ions in the Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields, the distribution of the ions and electrons over the Earth is worked out. The distribution turns out to be that required by the diamagnetic theory of the solar diurnal-variation of the Earth's magnetism (Gunn, Phys. Rev., v. 32, 1928 (133); Terr. Mag., v. 34, 1929 (17)). The gravitational drift-currents are found to flow mainly along the parallels of latitude in the following way: On the daylight hemisphere (1) a current-sheet flowing eastward in the levels above 150 km, which at the sunrise and sunset longitudes divides into two sheets; (2) one of these flows westward on the day side of the Earth underneath (1) in the levels below 150 km, and (3) the other sheet continues eastward in the upper levels around on the night side of the Earth.
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