High resolution pulse measurements of meteor-burst propagation at 41 Mc/s over a 1,295-km path

Abstract

Studi es of mu lt ipath radio signal have been made over a l ,2!l5-km path from Long Branch, I ll in o is to Boulder, Colorado. Three mi croseco nd pulses wit h a peak po wer of 800 ki lowa.tts we re employed . Signals p ropagated v ia ion ized meteo r tr"il , io nospheric scatter, spo radi c E and a urora were observed . Most single meteor trails show no detectable multipath. However, sp reading of t he received pu lse over a 10 mi crosecond ra nge wit h several components was visible occasionally. T he s imultanco us occur rence of several meteo r signals resul ted in multi ple paths d iffering in t ime by as mu ch as 500 microseco nds, althoug ll shorter delays were mo re p robable. Conti nuous scatter sig na ls cover a 40 mi croseco nd delay range. Strong E , signals usually show no detectable pu lse d isto rt ion. \Vhen weak, however, t hey may cover a 40 microsecond delay ra nge.