ARTIFICIAL HEATING OF THE ELECTRONS IN THE F REGION OF THE IONOSPHERE
Abstract
If a powerful radio beam were transmitted at a frequency very close to the penetration frequency of the ionosphere, a large amount of absorption would take place in the F region, and this, coupled with the very slow loss of heat by the electrons, could lead to a significant increase in the electron temperature. Preliminary calculations indicate that it should be possible to produce easily detectable increases by using an antenna with an effective area of about 40,000 sq.m. to transmit an average power of perhaps as little as 50 kilowatts and certainly not more than a few hundred kilowatts. The exact temperature increase will depend on the actual values of the collision frequency and the electron density in the layer. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0274724
Entities
People
- D.t. Farley
Organizations
- Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories