Wave Propagation In The Ionosphere

In this book, the author draws on his broad experience to describe both the theory and the applications of wave propagations. The contents are presented in four parts and the sequence of these parts reflect the development of ionospheric and propagational research in areas such as space research geophysics and communications. The first part of the book presents an outline of the theory of electromagnetic waves propagating in a cold electron plasma. For reference, vector analysis, dyadics and eigenvalues introduced in this part are presented in the appendices. Practical aspects of radio wave propagation are the subject of the second part. The typical conditions in different frequency ranges are discussed and the irregular features of the ionospheric structure such as sound and gravity waves are also considered. Warm plasma and the effects of ions are considered in the third part, which includes a discussion of sound-like waves in electron and ion plasmas. Nonlinear effects and instabilities are described in the fourth part.

First published in 1961, this book gives the full mathematical theory of the propagation of radio waves in the ionosphere and their reflection from it. It is complementary to J. A. Ratcliffe's books The Magneto-ionic Theory, which concentrates on the physical principles involved, since Dr Budden gives the mathematical development of many topics mentioned by Ratcliffe. The book will serve as a textbook for those comparatively new to the subject and as a reference book for practising engineers and research workers in the field of radio communication, for whom an understanding of the mathematical methods is important in solving practical problems.

This book is concerned with the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, and the theory of their effect on radio waves. It includes accounts of some mathematical topics now widely used in this study, particularly W. K. B. approximations, Airy integral functions and integration by steepest descents. The subject is divided into ray theory and full wave theory. Ray theory is useful for high frequencies when the ionosphere is treated as a horizonally stratified medium. The discussion of the magnetosphere, whose structure is more complicated, includes an account of whistlers and ion cyclotron whistlers. The book has been planned both for final year undergraduates and as a reference book for research. It is suitable as a course book on radio propagation for students of physics or electrical engineering or mathematics. Some of the topics are presented from an elementary viewpoint so as to help undergraduates new to the subject. The later parts are more advanced. Because the subject is so large and has seen many important recent advances, some topics have had to be treated briefly, but there is a full bibliography with about 600 references.

Terrestrial Propagation of Long Electromagnetic Waves deals with the propagation of long electromagnetic waves confined principally to the shell between the earth and the ionosphere, known as the terrestrial waveguide. The discussion is limited to steady-state solutions in a waveguide that is uniform in the direction of propagation. Wave propagation is characterized almost exclusively by mode theory. The mathematics are developed only for sources at the ground surface or within the waveguide, including artificial sources as well as lightning discharges. This volume is comprised of nine chapters and begins with an introduction to the fundamental concepts of wave propagation in a planar and curved isotropic waveguide. A number of examples are presented to illustrate the effects of an anisotropic ionosphere. The basic equations are summarized and plane-wave reflection from a dielectric interface is considered, along with the superposition of two obliquely incident plane waves. The properties of waveguide boundaries are implicitly represented by Fresnel reflection coefficients. Subsequent chapters focus on boundaries of the terrestrial guide; lightning discharges as a natural source of extremely-low-frequency and very-low-frequency radiation; and the mode theory for waves in an isotropic spherical shell. This book will be a useful resource for students and practitioners of physics.

An accessible student-oriented approach to radiowave propagation Propagation-the process whereby a signal is conveyed between transmitter and receiver-has a profound influence on communication systems design. Radiowave Propagation provides an overview of the physical mechanisms that govern electromagnetic wave propagation in the Earth's troposphere and ionosphere. Developed in conjunction with a graduate-level wave propagation course at The Ohio State University, this text offers a balance of physical and empirical models to provide basic physical insight as well as practical methods for system design. Beginning with discussions of propagation media properties, plane waves, and antenna and system concepts, successive chapters consider the most important wave propagation mechanisms for frequencies ranging from LF up to the millimeter wave range, including: Direct line-of-sight propagation through the atmosphere Rain attenuation The basic theory of reflection and refraction at material interfaces and in the Earth's atmosphere Reflection, refraction, and diffraction analysis in microwave link design for a specified terrain profile Empirical path loss models for point-to-point ground links Statistical fading models Standard techniques for prediction of ground wave propagation Ionospheric propagation, with emphasis on the skywave mechanism at MF and HF and on ionospheric perturbations for Earth-space links at VHF and higher frequencies A survey of other propagation mechanisms, including tropospheric scatter, meteor scatter, and propagation effects on GPS systems Radiowave Propagation incorporates fundamental materials to help senior undergraduate and graduate engineering students review and strengthen electromagnetic physics skills as well as the most current empirical methods recommended by the International Telecommunication Union. This book can also serve as a valuable teaching and reference text for engineers working with wireless communication, radar, or remote sensing systems.

This work treats the essential elements of radio wave propagation without requiring recourse to advanced electromagnetic concepts and equations. However, it provides sufficient detail to allow those concerned with wireless systems to acquire quickly a practical working knowledge of the important concepts. Radio wave propagation is placed in a practical context by considering the design aspects of communications systems at microwave frequencies. A fuller consideration of the electromagnetic properties of materials is given late in the book rather than as an introductory chapter.