History of ionospheric physics

Kristian Schlegel, past President of URSI, asked that the following open-access article on the history of ionospheric physics be brought to the attention of Radio Science Bulletin readers: A. Anduaga, “The Formation of Ionospheric Physics — Confluence of Traditions and Threads of Continuity,” History of Geo- and Space Sciences, 12, 1, 2021, pp. 57–75; available at https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-12-57-2021. The following is the abstract from the article: This paper examines how ionospheric physics emerged as a research speciality in Britain, Germany, and the United States in the first four decades of the 20th century. It argues that the formation of this discipline can be viewed as the confluence of four deep-rooted traditions in which scientists and engineers transformed, from within, research areas connected to radio wave propagation and geomagnetism. These traditions include Cambridge school's mathematical physics, Göttingen's mathematical physics, laboratory-based experimental physics, and Humboldtian-style terrestrial physics. Although focused on ionospheric physics, the paper pursues the idea that a dynamic conception of scientific tradition will provide a new perspective for the study of geoscience history.