March 1961 | Technical Report NBS 6750
A Digital Ray-Tracing Program for Ionospheric Research
Cite This Publication
Robert S. Lawrence and D. Jane Posakony, “A Digital Ray-Tracing Program for Ionospheric Research,” Technical Report NBS 6750, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, Central Radio Propagation Laboratory, March 1961.
Abstract:
A description is given of an ionospheric ray-tracing program which takes account of the effect of the geomagnetic field. Designed for use in the analysis of satellite observations, the basin program uses a spherically stratified ionosphere model and a dipole approximation to the magnetic field. However, the program is designed so as to be modified easily and it has frequently been used in more general forms. Some comments are made concerning rounding errors and, for various applications, the best compromise between excessive computing time and inaccuracy. Sample results are presented indicating the magnitude of the angular deviation and Doppler error introduced by the ionosphere, and showing the relative positions of the ordinary and extraordinary ray paths which connect a satellite with a ground observer.
Keywords: ray tracing
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