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- SA51B-1120: First In-Situ Measurement of VLF Waveguide Leakage Across the Ionospheric D-Region
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Board 1120‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
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Zaafir Hasan, University of California, Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory (First Author, Presenting Author)
John Bonnell, University of California, Berkeley
Roger Roglans, University of California, Berkeley
Very-low-frequency (VLF) radio waves travel long distances by bouncing between Earth and an upper layer of our atmosphere called the ionosphere. Scientists use these waves to study space weather, Earth's radiation belts, and to communicate with submarines deep in the ocean. While we have good theories about how these waves behave close to Earth, there have been few direct measurements showing what happens when they pass through the boundary between guided paths near Earth and the open region of space above.We launched a sounding rocket carrying antennas to measure VLF signals sent from a powerful ground-based transmitter. Our measurements show clearly that, close to Earth, the radio waves travel along a well-defined, beam-like path. But higher up, past the boundary region, these waves spread out evenly in all directions as radiative leakage.
These results match existing predictions but provide the first direct, in-place measurements of how this leakage occurs. Our observations help confirm current scientific models and will guide future experiments. This understanding also benefits long-distance communication and helps us better study Earth's space environment.
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