ELECTRON BALLISTICS AND ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES IN THE IONOSPHERE.
Abstract
It is shown that ion collisions introduce a slight reduction in the plasma frequency, along with an exponential decay of transient electron oscillations. The critical frequencies for penetration of a homogeneous ionosphere, for both isotropic and anisotropic ionospheres, are determined. The characteristic waves, for electromagnetic propagation within a homogeneous anisotropic ionosphere, are developed by considering an infinite series of electron velocities, produced by Ampere's force law, reacting with the electron oscillation produced by an exciting electric field. The complex indices of refraction are determined, both from a dispersion equation and from a derivation of the Appleton equation, which uses an arbitrary selection of the coordinate axes, thus emphasizing the invariance of the Appleton equation. Vector and tensor algebra is used throughout the analytical developments. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 10, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0626203
Entities
People
- J. G. Chaney
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School