Influence of environmental asymmetry on the shape of an electromagnetic pulse from an atmospheric nuclear explosion

A systematic study is presented of the characteristic features of the gener ation of RF radiation in atmospheric nuclear explosions with taking into ac count the following sources of environmental asymmetry: the geoelectric fie ld, atmospheric-pressure inhomogeneity, and the presence of the ground surf ace. It is shown that the shape of the front of the electromagnetic pulse i s determined by the geoelectric field, whereas the dominant factors governi ng the formation of the bulk of the pulse are the atmospheric-pressure inho mogeneity and the anisotropy of the current of Compton electrons due to the absorption of gammarays in the ground.