FINAL REPORT ON GEMINI EXPERIMENT D-14 UHF-VHF POLARIZATION MEASUREMENTS,
Abstract
A vhf-uhf Faraday rotation experiment (D-14) was conducted in conjunction with six Gemini IX spacecraft transits over Kauai, Hawaii, and Antigua, British West Indies, on June 4, 1966. The rotational ambiguity at vhf was resolved by inspecting the received uhf polarization. The electron content and its inhomogeneities below the spacecraft have been determined. By comparing the results of the data analysis corresponding to four closely spaced transits of Gemini IX over Hawaii, a measure of the prenoon electron-content variation was obtained. Assuming a Chapman distribution and equilibrium conditions, the lower ionospheric temperature has been estimated to be approximately 1000 at midday. It has been found that the smaller ionospheric inhomogeneities (approximately 10 to 30 km) occur in greater numbers than would be anticipated strictly on the basis of their size and sample-time considerations. The irregularity excursion delta C is found to be roughly an increasing function of irregularity scale delta L, with the percentage excursion Sub delta sub c increasing between 1% and 5% per 100 km. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 20, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0663111
Entities
People
- J. M. Goodman
- R. E. Ellis
- W. Sievers
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory