Ionospheric disturbances produced by chemical releases and the resultant effects on short-wave ionospheric propagation

Abstract

[1] As an effective means to actively modify the ionosphere, chemical releases can produce artificial ionospheric holes as a consequence of ionization reduction, which can have a great impact on radio wave propagation. To investigate the morphology control of ionospheric holes by various chemical releases and the resultant effects on radio wave propagation, a quantitative numerical model is developed on the basis of the approximate solutions of the diffusion equation of single-point release in uniform atmosphere. While single-point release produces ellipsoidal ionospheric holes, multipoint release can produce other types of ionospheric holes (such as parabola-like tubular ones), which is strongly dependent on changes in the release species, release altitude, and mass of released neutral gas. Releases of both H2O and SF6 can produce ionospheric holes with a similar spatial extent, but the latter tends to result in clearer boundaries and more pronounced electron density reductions. In addition, either an increase in released amount or releases at higher altitudes can lead to a broader hole. To evaluate the effects of an ionospheric hole on radio wave propagation, three-dimensional ray tracing simulations are performed. The ellipsoidal ionospheric holes can act as a lens focusing and bending radio waves, leading to multiple wave reflections inside the holes. In contrast, in the paraboloid tubular ionospheric holes, the rays can penetrate the disturbed region or reflect back, showing a strong dependence on radio frequency. It is well demonstrated that chemical releases can efficiently give rise to artificial ionospheric disturbances and thus modify ionospheric propagation of radio waves.