A Technique for Using the Disturbing-Before-Wanted Interaction Experiment to Obtain the Excess Electron Energy Loss Factor

摘要

The development of the electron energy balance equation, as it is used in D-region interaction studies, is examined. It is proposed to experimentally find the excess electron energy loss factor, G, that appears in this equation. G represents the fraction of excess energy (above ambient) that an electron loses per collision with a neutral particle. An experiment in which the disturbing pulse is transmitted before the wanted pulse is described and the necessary theory derived. The interaction equations are then programmed on a digital computer to examine the effects of ionospheric parameters. It is shown that the Disturbing-Before-Wanted experiment is sensitive to G. A graphical technique for the reduction of experimental data is developed, and some preliminary results are shownn in the form of the seasonal variation of G. (Author)