Zhurnal Radioelektroniki - Journal of Radio Electronics. eISSN 1684-1719. 2021. №10
ContentsFull text in Russian (pdf)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30898/1684-1719.2021.10.7
UDC: 537.872.32
A. V. Moshkov
Kotelnikov Institute of Radio engineering and Electronics of RAS
Mokhovaya 11-7, Moscow, 125009, Russia
The paper was received September 29, 2021
Abstract. The value and duration of attenuation of low frequency waves (1...10 kHz) in the presence of a strong local disturbance of the atmosphere have been estimated. Sources of significant local disturbances of the atmosphere are, for example, precipitation of energetic particles of radiation belts; electromagnetic pulses of lightning discharges; radiation of powerful low-frequency ground-based transmitters; invasion of large meteors. Strong local disturbances lead to an increase of ionization (concentration of free electrons) of the environment by several orders of magnitude in the region of space whose characteristic dimensions are comparable to the length of the wave (tens and hundreds of kilometers). As such a disturbance, we use the previously developed macroscopic model of an instantaneous, point release of a relatively large amount of energy in the atmosphere below the ionosphere. This model makes it possible to estimate the features of the propagation of low-frequency waves through the disturbed layer of the lower ionosphere by changing only two initial parameters: the disturbance energy and its initial height. It is shown that the attenuation value is almost independent of frequency and geo- and heliophysical conditions. For initial heights up to 50 km, the fading duration does not exceed ~ 2 min. With an increase of the initial altitude, the attenuation in the lower ionosphere becomes extremely large. However, for heights of 50 ... 70 km (depending on the value of energy), the horizontal size of the disturbance decreases significantly, which leads to a decrease in the fading time to tens of seconds for initial heights of more than 80 km.
Key words: low frequencies, lower ionosphere, atmosphere, strong local disturbance, enhanced ionization, wave attenuation.
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For citation:
Moshkov A.V. Attenuation of low-frequency electromagnetic waves in the Earth's lower ionosphere under the influence of strong local disturbances in the atmosphere. Zhurnal Radioelektroniki [Journal of Radio Electronics] [online]. 2021. №10. https://doi.org/10.30898/1684-1719.2021.10.7 (In Russian)