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Model computations of radio wave scintillation caused by equatorial ionospheric bubbles
Author(s) -
Wernik A. W.,
Liu C. H.,
Yeh K. C.
Publication year - 1980
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/rs015i003p00559
Subject(s) - scintillation , amplitude , physics , ionosphere , computational physics , interplanetary scintillation , radio wave , ionization , radio propagation , electron density , excursion , computation , electron , optics , geophysics , plasma , mathematics , detector , nuclear physics , ion , coronal mass ejection , algorithm , quantum mechanics , astronomy , solar wind , political science , law
In situ data measured on board AE satellites and rockets reveal spiky and wedgelike electron density structures inside the equatorial ionospheric bubbles. Two models are constructed to simulate the initial stage and fully developed stage of a bubble. Effects of radio propagation through such bubbles are simulated by solving the parabolic equation numerically. The results show that even though the amplitude scintillation at 136 MHz appears to be stationary, such is not the case at gigahertz frequencies. Instead, the amplitude at gigahertz frequencies shows outbursts with large excursions whenever the direct ray intersects the spicky ionization structure. Both the peak‐to‐peak excursion and the amplitude distribution cannot be predicted by the scintillation theory that assumes the medium to be random.