Radar cross section measurements and vertical incidence effects observed with Platteville at reduced power

摘要

During the past four years, experiments using high power, high frequency transmitters have demonstrated that significant modification of the F region of the ionosphere can be effected. This paper illustrates that relatively low power, creating power flux densities in the F region of the order of 1 μw m, can also produce significant modification in the ionosphere. Such low power illuminations create field-aligned ionization irregularities that produce a significant scattering cross section in the modified ionosphere. It permits propagation of VHF signals over selected long distance paths that could not be used by natural means.