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Signal intensity in the geometrical optics approximation for the magnetized ionosphere
Author(s) -
Västberg Anders,
Lundborg Bengt
Publication year - 1996
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 - 10.1029/96rs02630
Subject(s) - physics , ionosphere , computational physics , geometrical optics , magnetic field , optics , intensity (physics) , signal (programming language) , anisotropy , electron , geophysics , computer science , quantum mechanics , programming language
The paper discusses theoretical and numerical aspects of signal intensity calculations in the geometrical optics approximation for ionospheric HF wave propagation. We present an efficient method for calculating a flux tube of rays for a very general ionosphere. The method is new in the sense that it allows for the effects of electron collisions and the anisotropy produced by the Earth's magnetic field. The basic idea is to calculate the focusing of infinitesimally separated rays by integrating the differential equations for the deviated rays along a reference ray. Some of the first results obtained by this technique are presented.