Accession Number:

AD0626694

Title:

ELECTRON DENSITY PROFILES OF WAVEMOTIONS IN THE IONOSPHERE CAUSED BY NUCLEAR DETONATIONS

Descriptive Note:

Research rept.

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE CAMBRIDGE RESEARCH LABS HANSCOM AFB MA

Personal Author(s):

• Gassmann, George J.

Report Date:

1963-04-01

Pagination or Media Count:

25.0

Abstract:

Horizontally traveling waves in the ionosphere, occurring naturally and from nuclear detonations, cause nonvertical reflections and, therefore, abnormal ionospheric recordings at stations during overhead passage. It is shown how an electron density cross-section in the vertical plane through an ionospheric wave can be constructed from a single stations ionospheric recordings, provided those are taken at time intervals not exceeding 5 minutes and provided the general direction of travel is known. The described analysis yields also an approximate value for the velocity. Examples are shown of profiles of ionospheric waves from two different nuclear detonations, observed at great distances. The ionospheric wave of 30 October 1961 from Novaya Zemlya appears to be caused by a gravity wave, as may be inferred from a table which gives a review of world-wide observations.

Descriptors:

• *IONOSPHERE
• ELECTRONS
• NUCLEAR PROPERTIES

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE