The variation of the shape of cross-correlation curves with receiver separation in spaced receiver ionospheric drift measurements

Abstract

The movement of the pattern of signal strength over the ground of a radio wave after reflection from the ionosphere is considered. It is shown that if this pattern suffers dispersion, with different wavelengths moving at different velocities, the correlation-delay curve between two points varies with separation of the two points in the same way as the form of a wave packet moving through a dispersive medium varies with time. Evidence is produced that the variation may be of this form, suggesting that the movement is sometimes dispersive.