HF Propagation Effects Caused by Artificial Plasma Cloud in the Ionosphere

Abstract

Releasing easily ionized metal vapor, such as barium, strontium, lithium, cesium, or samarium, can form an enhanced electron density region, which can affect radio wave propagation significantly. The high-frequency (HF) radio wave propagation effects caused by chemical releases in the ionosphere have been investigated. Ray tracing technique have been used to successfully model HF radio wave propagation path. The results show that the new propagation paths of HF radio wave are established by the artificial plasma cloud, and the lower the frequency is, the more complex the propagation path becomes. Up to four new propagation paths are created for 10MHz wave propagating 500km. For 15MHz and 20MHz wave propagating 500km, there is a new propagation path, which is inexistent without artificial plasma cloud, in other words a new radio link is created.