The Seasonality of VLF Attenuation Through the Ionosphere Verified by DEMETER Satellite

Abstract

AbstractWe constructed a program, we call “Iriatten,” to calculate using parameters from the International Reference Ionosphere, attenuation of Very Low Frequency (VLF) radiation transiting the ionosphere. The calculations are performed as function of latitude, longitude, year, month, day, and hour and based upon the quasi‐longitudinal approximation put forth by Helliwell, where the wave vector k, is in the direction of propagation, and follows the Earth's magnetic field lines. The best values of various parameters are taken from the literature. Attenuation occurs through electron neutral collisions. In his seminal 1965 text, Helliwell presented atmospheric attenuation curves for day and night, 2 and 20 kHz, as a function of latitude. Program Iriatten is used to re‐calculate Helliwell's curves and then to fully exercise access to seasonality. High power VLF transmitters are utilized as a reference signal and two physical models are used to represent them. In the Vertically Inclined model, the attenuation is assumed to occur “straight up” from the location of the VLF transmitter. In the Crary model waves are launched from a dipole source and ionospheric attenuation is applied where the wave is turned up in the Earth‐ionospheric waveguide. Both representations reveal a seasonality that is unmistakable. Using the two models the ionospheric attenuation is calculated for four VLF transmitters and compared to observations by the DEMETER. Results from the Crary transmitter model more realistically portray seasonal variations exemplified by DEMETER satellite data. Crary model errors, which are within 11 dB, are lower than or comparable to Vertically Inclined errors.