Numerical Modeling of High Frequency Electromagnetic Wave Propagation through Ionospheric Plasma with Randomly Distributed Flute Vortices

Abstract:

A three dimensional numerical ray-tracing algorithm based on a Hamilton-Jacobi geometric optics approximation is used to analyze propagation of high frequency (HF) electromagnetic waves through a plasma with randomly distributed vortex structures having a spatial dependence in the plane perpendicular to earth’s magnetic field. This spatial dependence in density is elongated and uniform along the magnetic field lines. Similar vortex structures may appear in the equatorial spread F region and in the Auroral zone of the ionosphere. The diffusion coefficient associated with wave vector deflection from a propagation path can be approximated by measuring the average deflection angle of the beam of rays. Then, the beam broadening can be described statistically using the Fokker-Planck equation. Visualizations of the ray propagation through generated density structures along with estimated and analytically calculated diffusion coefficients will be presented.