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Comparing TID simulations using 3‐D ray tracing and mirror reflection
Author(s) -
Huang X.,
Reinisch B. W.,
Sales G. S.,
Paznukhov V. V.,
Galkin I. A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1002/2015rs005872
Subject(s) - ray tracing (physics) , ionosphere , doppler effect , physics , optics , electron density , amplitude , reflection (computer programming) , computational physics , international reference ionosphere , perturbation (astronomy) , electron , computer science , geophysics , astronomy , total electron content , quantum mechanics , tec , programming language
Measuring the time variations of Doppler frequencies and angles of arrival (AoA) of ionospherically reflected HF waves has been proposed as a means of detecting the occurrence of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). Simulations are made using ray tracing through the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) electron density model in an effort to reproduce measured signatures. The TID is represented by a wavelike perturbation of the 3‐D electron density traveling horizontally in the ionosphere with an amplitude that varies sinusoidally with time. By judiciously selecting the TID parameters the ray tracing simulation reproduces the observed Doppler frequencies and AoAs. Ray tracing in a 3‐D realistic ionosphere is, however, excessively time consuming considering the involved homing procedures. It is shown that a carefully selected reflecting corrugated mirror can reproduce the time variations of the AoA and Doppler frequency. The results from the ray tracing through the IRI model ionosphere and the mirror model reflections are compared to assess the applicability of the mirror‐reflection model.