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Generation of high intensity RF pulses in the ionosphere by means of in situ compression
Author(s) -
Cowley S. C.,
Perkins F. W.,
Valeo E. J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/93gl02842
Subject(s) - ionosphere , intensity (physics) , amplitude , physics , pulse (music) , transient (computer programming) , computational physics , optics , pulse compression , compression (physics) , materials science , geophysics , radar , telecommunications , computer science , detector , thermodynamics , operating system
We demonstrate, using a simple model, that high intensity pulses can be generated, by making use of the dispersive properties of the ionosphere, from a modifier of much lower intensity whose frequency is a parabolic function of time. We show that such a frequency‐chirped pulse can be constructed so that its various components overtake each other at a prescribed height, resulting in large (up to one hundred times) transient intensity enhancements as compared to those achievable from a steady modifier operating at the same power. We examine briefly one possible application: the enhancement of plasma wave amplitudes which occurs as a result of the interaction of such a compressed pulse with pre‐generated turbulence.