Artificial heating of the electrons in the F region of the ionosphere

Journal Article · Tue Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1963 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JZ068i002p00401· OSTI ID:4744400

Farley, D. T.

The possibility of artificially heating the electrons in the F region by means of a radio wave is investigated. On the basis of a somewhat oversimplified model of the actual problem, equations are derived for the steady-state values of the electron density and electron temperature proflles as a function of the transmitter parameters and the initial state of the ionosphere. These equations are then solved numerically for several cases of interest. At a frequency of 50 Mc/s, slight but probably detectable changes in the ionosphere could be produced by means of a large antenna and an average transmitter power of the order of 500 kw or more. At higher frequencies, or for smaller average powers, the effucts are negligible. Thus heating is unlikely to complicate incoherent scattering measurements in the F region. By using frequencies very near the F-region penetration frequency, however, it is possible to achieve much larger effects because of the resonant absorption. Using only 50-100 kw and a sufficiently large antenna we could change the electron temperature by a few hundred degrees. Using higher powers, much larger changes are possible. Detailed measurements of the heating effects could provide considerable data on transport phenomena in the ionospheric plasma. The experiment would also provide a convenient way of studying a nonequilibrium plasma under fairly controlled conditions.

• Research Organization: National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colo.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-17-008995
• OSTI ID: 4744400
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 68; ISSN 0148-0227
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
ANTENNAS
DENSITY
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONS
ENERGY
EQUATIONS
FREQUENCY
HEATING
IONOSPHERE
MEASURED VALUES
NUMERICALS
PHYSICS
PLASMA
POWER
RADIO WAVES
RESONANCE
SCATTERING
TEMPERATURE
TRANSPORT