Iterative Ray-tracing Simulation of Minimum Group-path Traces in Swept-frequency Backscatter Ionograms

Iterative Ray-tracing Simulation of Minimum Group-path Traces in Swept-frequency Backscatter Ionograms

Author: Ming S. Wong

Publisher:

Published: 1975

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13:

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Swept-frequency traces of minimum group-path length in backscatter-radar ionograms, computed for a measured three-dimensional electron distribution in the midnight sector of the polar ionosphere, are presented. Also presented are minimum group-path traces computed for trial electron distributions chosen to simulate the group-path traces of the measured electron distribution, and to show the effects on the group-path traces as consequences of variations made upon major features of the trial electron distributions.


Ray-tracing Simulation of Swept-frequency Backscatter Ionograms

Ray-tracing Simulation of Swept-frequency Backscatter Ionograms

Author: Ming S. Wong

Publisher:

Published: 1974

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Computed swept-frequency traces of minimum group-path in backscatter-radar ionograms are presented for ionospheric electron distributions in the polar region. Some of the traces for ground backscatter contain cusps that are shown to result when a small fraction of rays from the radar encounter a region in which the vertical electron-density gradient decreases sharply with distance after the rays passed through apogees. An accurate geomagnetic field model is used in obtaining traces for direct backscatter from field-aligned ionization that causes radar auroral clutter. A method is described for representing three-dimensional electron distributions. The method is sufficiently flexible for iterative ray computations, which appear as a reasonable and potentially reliable approach to the problem of converting backscatter-radar ionograms to electron distributions.