RADAR ASTRONOMY AND PROPAGATION RESEARCH.

Abstract

Research in this report and application of radar astronomy techniques for study of the solar corona, interplanetary gas density, ionospheric electron content, and cislunar gas density. It included: (1) completion of the 300-kw transmitter and log-periodic antenna array for solar and lunar radar work; (2) attempts to reestablish radar contact with the solar corona, including development of pseudo-random coding and cross correlation techniques for optimizing ranging information and detection; (3) intensive study of the polarization, strength, and doppler excess of moon reflected signals to obtain ionospheric electron content, scintillation information, and rate of change of electron content over the earth-moon path as a function of time; (4) daily measurements of the total ionospheric electron content using Faraday rotation differences between two closely space frequencies reflected from the moon; (5) development of computer methods for sampling and digitizing analog moon data recorded on magnetic tape; and (6) theoretical studies of the scattering from, and transmission through, plasmas as applied to the density and constitution of interplanetary gas and planetary ionospheres. Much of the experimental program was made possible by the availability of unique and extensive radar facilities acquired and constructed under this contract. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0453029

Entities

People

  • B. B. Lusignan
  • H. T. Howard
  • V. R. Eshleman

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Antenna Arrays
  • Antennas
  • Astronomy
  • Computer Programming
  • Computers
  • Correlation Techniques
  • Cross Correlation
  • Data Science
  • Electrons
  • Information Science
  • Log Periodic Antennas
  • Magnetic Tape
  • Radar Astronomy
  • Solar Corona

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster
  • Space - Space Objects