Atmospheric Electric Transmission

Abstract

IT appears to be of interest and value, in relation to current investigations on the circumstances of wireless transmission at short ranges, to note the intensity of reflection of electric waves that might be expected at the sharp boundary of an ionised layer, high in the atmosphere. The term sharp here implies. practically that the transition is completed in, say, not less than one-tenth or, for nearly direct incidence, one-fifth of a wave-length. The relative amplitudes in the reflected waves are then, for the two polarised components, given sufficiently by the Fresnel expressions When the index of refraction is 1 v where v is small, they become e.g. for rays inclined at 30° to the horizontal they are 2v and v.