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3 Without Audio - Ionospheric Wave Propagation ppt31

Critical frequency (fo or fc) is the highest frequency that can be reflected by an ionospheric layer at vertical incidence. It is different for different layers. Frequencies less than or equal to the critical frequency will be reflected, while frequencies above it will not. Virtual height is the height a pulse would reach in the same travel time as an actual reflected pulse. Maximum usable frequency (MUF) is the highest frequency that can be reflected for a given distance of propagation between transmitter and receiver. Skip distance is the minimum distance at which a skywave is returned to earth after being reflected by the ionosphere.

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50 views

3 Without Audio - Ionospheric Wave Propagation ppt31

Critical frequency (fo or fc) is the highest frequency that can be reflected by an ionospheric layer at vertical incidence. It is different for different layers. Frequencies less than or equal to the critical frequency will be reflected, while frequencies above it will not. Virtual height is the height a pulse would reach in the same travel time as an actual reflected pulse. Maximum usable frequency (MUF) is the highest frequency that can be reflected for a given distance of propagation between transmitter and receiver. Skip distance is the minimum distance at which a skywave is returned to earth after being reflected by the ionosphere.

Uploaded by

niji mathews
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Critical frequency (fo or fc)

• It is the heighest frequency which


can be reflected by a particular
layer at vertical incidence
• It is different for different layers
According to snell’s law
refractive index n=sin i/sin r
• Frequencies equal to or less than the
critical freq. will be reflected back by the
ionospheric layer irrespective of the
angle of incidence

For a wave of frequency >fc to be


reflected , the condition is
Virtual Height
• It is the height to which
a short pulse of energy
sent vertically upward
and travelling with the
speed of light would
reach taking the same
two ways travel time as
does the actual pulse
relected from the layer.
h = CT/2
Maximum Usable Frequency(MUF)
•It is the limiting frequency which can be reflected
back to earth for some specific angle of incidence
other than vertical incidence.
•It is the maximum possible value of frequency for
which reflection takes place for a given distance of
propagation
•It is the frequency which makes the distance
between Txr and Rxr equal to the skip distance.

•Normal value vary from 8MHz to 35MHz


Skip Distance
• Radio waves radiated
horizontally from a Txr near the
earth’s surface is quickly
absorbed due to large
groundloss and so only short
distance communication is
carried out.
• Radio waves radiated at high
angle may not be bent
sufficiently at the ionosphere
layers to return to earth and
hence escapes
• So radiowaves radiated at
some angle may escapes from
absorption and penetration.
Skip Distance

• The distance at which


surface wave becomes
negligible and the distance
at which the first wave
reflected from ionosphere
return back to ground there
is a region which is not
covered by any wave. This is
skip zone or dead zone.
Skip distance may be defined as
• The minimum distance
from the Txr at which
a sky wave of given
frequency is returned
to earth by the
ionosphere

• The minimum distance


from the Txr to a point
where the sky wave is
first received
• As the angle of incidence is
large as for ray1, the skywave
returns to earth at a long
distance from Txr
• As the angle slowly reduces,
naturally the wave returns
closer and closer to the Txr
• This behaviour continues
untill an angle of incidence is
reached at which the distance
becomes minimum
• Further decrease in angle of
incidence, the wave
penetrates the layer and does
not return to earth
Effect of earth’s magnetic field on
ionospheric radiowave propagation
•A radio wave propagating in an atmosphere which is not
ionized is not affected by the earth’s magnetic field.
•If the wave propagates through an ionized medium, then the
electrons are set in motion by the electric field of the
radiowave and the earth’s magnetic field exerts a force on the
vibrating electrons producing twisting effect on their paths.
•Earth’s magnetic field is perpendicular to the electric field.
•Force is proportional to the product of instantaneous velocity
of the electron and the component of earth’s magnetic field.
•The direction of force is perpendicular to both the velocity of
the electron and to the component of the magnetic field
exerting the force.
• Electron follows an elliptical path.
• Out of the total energy absorbed from the
electric field of the wave , the electron re-
radiates a part.
• This re-radiated wave differs in phase from
the incident wave.
• So the resultant wave, ie. The combination of
the incident wave and the re-radiated wave is
elliptically polarised.
• At very high frequency the elliptical path
followed by the electron is very narrow.
• As the frequency is reduced, then the size of
the ellipse increase.
• With continued reduction in frequency, the
size of the ellipse continuously grows until at
some frequency in the proximity of 1.4 MHz,
cyclotron resonance occurs and the electron
follows a spiral path of continuous increasing
radius. This frequency is called gyro-
frequency(fg)
Gyro frequency is the frequency whose period is
equal to the of revolution of an electron in its
circular orbit under the influence of the earth’s
magnetic field of the flux B.
• If f =fg, then resonance phenomenon occurs
and the oscillating electrons receive more
energy from the incident wave and so
attenuation is maximum near gyro frequency.
• The earth’s magnetic field splits up the
incident radiowave into two componets. ie.
Ordinary and extraordinary waves.
• The phenomenon of splitting of radiowave
into two different components by the earth’s
magnetic field is termed as magneto ionic
splitting.
Ionospheric Abnormalities
•The electrical characteristics of the ionosphere
depend on soloar radiation and hence they vary
continuously.
•The variartions of the ionosphere are classified as
normal and abnormal
Normal: occurs due to
Seasonal
Thickness
Height variations of the ionosphericlayers
Abnormal: occurs due to changes in solar
activity.

The common abnormal variations are:


a) Ionospheric storms: due to high absorption of skywaves
and abnormal changes at the critical frequencies of E
and F2 layers. These storms persist for a few days.
b) Sudden ionospheric distaurbances(SID):
c) Sun Spot Cycle

d) Whistlers
e)Tides and Winds in the ionosphere
• are common in the atmosphere
• Solar tide effects are more pronounced
• The winds in the ionosphere are caused by
the tides
• The presence of ionospheric winds are due
to the motion of turbulance in F2 layer.
• Tidal effect introduces a small peak of
maximum ionisation density in the layer at
mid-night.
Ionospheric Absorption
• Ionospheric Absorption limits the radio wave
transmission over the large distance.
• whenthe wave propagates through an ionized
medium, it cause the electrons to vibrate.
• These vibrating electrons gives out some energy and
this energy is used to heat the air and hence wasted.
• The amount of energy wastage will be high if the
distance travelled by the waves in the layer and the
ionisation density are high
•During day time the ionisation density is high
and so absorption will be much greater in the
day rather than the night.
•Absorption suffered by a radiowave in the
ionosphere can be divided into two
a) Non-deviate absorption:- occurs in the
lower region where refractive index is nearly
equal to unity.
b)Deviate absorption:- occurs in the region
where refractive index is appreciably less than
unity. It is maximum in the lower most D region
in day

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