COMPUTER SIMULATION OF STRUCTURAL DETAILS OF HIGH-FREQUENCY OVER-THE-HORIZON EARTH BACKSCATTER,
Abstract
A computer program was developed which simulates high-frequency radar backscatter profiles (giving the amplitude as a function of time delay) from previously computed ray trajectories. The ray trajectories were computed from two different ray-tracing programs; both programs use tabular input descriptions of the antenna pattern and ionospheric electron density profile. One ray-trace program, is a two-dimensional program which generates refraction of the ray trajectories in the ionosphere by applying Snell's law at the boundary of each incremental slab in a uniformly spherically stratified, earth-concentric ionosphere with changing index of refraction. The second, generates the ray trajectories by performing a three-dimensional, error-checking numerical integration of the six differential Haselgrove equations. The backscatter profiles which result from the ray trajectories in conjunction with the backscatter synthesis program were compared to actual measured profiles for three cases. An analysis was performed for two different model ionospheric electron density profiles to assess the effects of antenna pattern and D-layer absorption on the backscatter profile. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 24, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0698280
Entities
People
- E. L. Althouse
- J. R. Davis
- P. E. V. Shannon
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory