THE SCINTILLATION OF SATELLITE RADIO TRANSMISSIONS AND FIELD-ALIGNED IONOSPHERIC IRREGULARITIES
Abstract
Three months' observations obtained at Brisbane of the scintillations of the 20 Mc/s transmissions from Explorer VII were analyzed in detail. The scintillations have a Gaussian distcl. illus. tables, 23 refs. (Scientific rept. no. 2) (Contract AF 64(500)9, Proj. 5631) (AFCRL 62-302)Unclassified report DESCRIPTORS: *Radio si nals, *Satellite vehicles, *Ionosphere, *Propagation, *Sta tistical analysis, *Terre trial agnetism, Australia. Three months' observations obtained at Brisbane of the scintillations of the 20 Mc/s transmissions from Explorer VII were analyzed in detail. The scintillations have a Gaussian distribution of amplitude and a scintillation rate which peaks at 2 c/s. The phenomenon is mainly a night-time one but some slight activity persists into the daylight hours. There is no evidence of a correlation with sporadic E but the scintillations are found to be associated with both the frequency-spreading and range-spreading types of spread-F. The scintillation activity is found to increase with zenith angle in a manner which can be interpreted in terms of the same system of irregularities, at heights of the order of 200 to 600 km., producing both the scintillations and spread-F. The irregularities are shown to be field-aligned and to have dimensions of the order of 1 km. The irregularities associated with frequency-spreading are found to occur in patches with horizontal dimensions of the order of 100 km. or more. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0286375
Entities
People
- D.g. Singleton
- G.j. Lynch
- J.a. Thomas
Organizations
- University of Queensland