IONOSPHERIC REFLECTION OF VERY LONG RADIO WAVES

Abstract

A simplified model of the long-wave-reflecting region of the ionosphere, first considered in a previous paper, is used to calculate the theoretical variation of sky wave reflection coefficient with angle of incidence and with the angle of dip of the earth's magnetic field. The resulting curves are found to be in good agreement with experiment. They lead to the conclusion that theoretical results based on the assumption of a vertical magnetic field will not lead to errors in vertical incidence sky wave reflection coefficient greater than about 10%, even though the field is inclined at an angle of as much as 23° to the vertical.