Computing the Focusing Contribution to Signal Intensity Along a Single HF Ray Through an Ionosphere with Fields and Collisions
Abstract
Due to the curved nature of their trajectories, an important part of determining the attenuation or enhancement that high-frequency (HF)radio waves accrue over the course of their trajectories is the focusing factor. A common method to determine the focusing a ray experiences is to model propagating multiple rays around the target ray and finding the average of the final cross-sectional area of this ray tube. Instead,a more reliable and computationally efficient method was proposed in a 1988 Radio Science article. We follow the methodology of that paper and apply it to rays propagating through an ionosphere affected by the Earth's magnetic field and particle collisions. We also expand upon a 1996 Radio Science article which uses the method and describes what equations are necessary for writing it in computer code but does not give the equations themselves. Derivations are included, as well as suggestions to make coding the method easier.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 28, 2024
- Accession Number
- AD1224909
Entities
People
- Erick M. Smith
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory