A VERTICAL-PLASMA-SLAB MODEL FOR DETERMINING THE LOWER LIMIT TO PLASMA-DENSITY IN SPRITE COLUMNS FROM VLF SCATTER MEASUREMENTS

Citation
Rl. Dowden et Cj. Rodger, A VERTICAL-PLASMA-SLAB MODEL FOR DETERMINING THE LOWER LIMIT TO PLASMA-DENSITY IN SPRITE COLUMNS FROM VLF SCATTER MEASUREMENTS, IEEE antennas & propagation magazine, 39(2), 1997, pp. 44-53
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Engineering, Eletrical & Electronic
ISSN journal
10459243
Volume
39
Issue
2
Year of publication
1997
Pages
44 - 53
Database
ISI
SICI code
1045-9243(1997)39:2<44:AVMFDT>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
VLF to MF backscatter from ''red sprites'' is investigated by the use of a one-dimensional model, in which the sprite is considered as an in finite vertical slab of plasma. The reflection (backscatter) and trans mission (forward-scatter) coefficients are found for a wide range of s lab parameters. For a slab in which such parameters vary with altitude , the approximation is made that the scatter coefficients vary with al titude accordingly. A conductivity of 10(-4) S/m is found sufficient t o explain the observed magnitudes of backscatter (large angles up to 1 80 degrees), provided this or higher conductivity prevails over a subs tantial part of the cloud-ionosphere altitude range. The effect of the geomagnetic field on the conductivity at altitudes up to 80 km, and w ave frequencies up to 10 MHz, is found to be of little consequence.