The Hankel Probability Distribution--The Distribution for the Product of Two Exponentially-Distributed Random Variables

摘要

For the purpose of calculating the probability distribution of a skywave sea echo, the process is modeled as the product of two independent exponentially-distributed random variables. Because the resulting probability distribution involves the Hankel function, it is tentatively named the Hankel probability distribution. The Hankel distribution is compared with the measured distribution for skywave backscatter from the sea and reasonable agreement was achieved. It is believed that an exponential distribution is a reasonable approximation to the distribution function for ionospheric reflection. This same analysis applies to skywave backscatter from the ground.