Experiments and Models in Prairie Smoke

Abstract

This report describes satellite transmission experiments carried out in Prairie Smoke III and IV to study the structure sizes and time dependence of scintillations produced by artificial spread F (ASF) irregularities at frequencies of 30, 50, 150, and 400 MHz. Fine structure down to less than 10 m was identified in the scintillating signals. Aircraft and topside sounder diagnostics are described for earlier experiments, which show that the disturbed region extends more than 200 km in a north-south direction, with a relatively sharp southern boundary. This report also presents a criterion for optimization of the bistatic cross section for on-frequency scatter (OFS) at VHF and UHF by a suitable choice of geometry.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1973
Accession Number
AD0527361

Entities

People

  • Daniel R. Ward
  • E. E. Mendenhall
  • S. A. Bowhill

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Amplitude Modulation
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Boundaries
  • Data Analysis
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Frequency
  • Geometry
  • Geosynchronous Satellites
  • Ionosondes
  • Ionosphere
  • Line Of Sight
  • Measurement
  • Radar
  • Radio Signals
  • Scattering

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space