LONG DISTANCE V.H.F. FIELDS: II. REFRACTIVITY PROFILES CONTAINING "SHARP LAYERS"

Abstract

In this part the general solution developed in Part I is applied to the case in which the refractivity profile contains sharp layers (i.e. local regions where μ and dμ/dh change very rapidly compared with their rate of variation in a "standard" type atmosphere). It is found that such layers, when well developed, can cause distant fields of the order of magnitude of those which have been observed, but present experimental evidence seems to indicate that scattering from atmospheric turbulence is usually the important factor. An attempt is made to work out a physical interpretation of the field-formation below the elevated layer.