Vp. Uryadov et al., THE INVESTIGATION OF LONG-DISTANCE HF PROPAGATION ON THE BASIS OF A CHIRP SOUNDER, Journal of atmospheric and terrestrial physics, 57(11), 1995, pp. 1263-1271
Experimental data on round-the-world HF radio signals near the termina
tor are given. The critical frequency of the ionspheric waveguide is f
ound to be f(c)-is-similar-to-16-17 MHz. At frequencies f-is-less-than
-f(c) the group delay has a negative dispersion t(g) = delta-tau/delta
-f-is-similar-or-equal-to -100 mu-s/MHz for frequencies greater-than-f
(c). Ray-tracing calculations are carried out. It is found that the lo
w frequency branch of the round-the-world signals (f-is-less-than-f(c)
) by ricochet and hop modes. Experiments on the waveguide modes escapi
ng from the ionspheric channel due to field-aligned scattering by arti
ficial ionspheric turbulence are carried out. The conditions for trapp
ing of radio waves in the ionospheric waveguide are investigated. It i
s shown that if the gradient of the critical frequency f(0)F2 is less
than minus 2x10(-2) MHz/100 km radio wave trapping takes place in the
ionospheric waveguide at frequencies exceeding by 1-2 MHz the maximum
observed frequency of the hop mode. The frequency time characteristics
of the mode and the geophysical conditions for the effective control
of radio waves escaping from the waveguide are defined.