Heating of the electrons in the F region of the ionosphere. [40-kW radio transmitter]

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:6473988

Potemra, T

An experiment to cause artificial changes in the electron-density profile of the F region of the ionosphere was conducted in order to verify experimentally the theoretical conclusion that the electrons in the F region could be artificially heated by a radio wave. An antenna array, fed by a 40-kW transmitter, was used to illuminate a portion of the ionosphere at a frequency slightly below the critical frequency. An absorption of energy from this beam by the electrons in this layer was expected, thereby increasing the average electron temperature and modifying the density profile. With the equipment used for this experiment, a 3 1/2-percent decrease in the maximum of the electron-density profile, corresponding to a reduction of 135 kc in the observed critical frequency 7700 kc, was expected. A phase-path sounder used to measure changes in the phase-path height, and vertical incidence sounder used to measure the virtual height both estimated to be sensitive to a 50-kc change in the critical frequency, were un able to detect any changes in several trials of the experiment.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Stanford Electronics Labs.
• OSTI ID: 6473988
• Report Number(s): AD-405334
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
F REGION
FERMIONS
IONOSPHERE
LEPTONS
MODIFICATIONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION