Interval of spatial correlation of fading in a single-beam decameter radio line

Abstract

A method for determining the interval of spatial correlation of fading in a decameter radio line with a single discrete beam (mode), which are caused by wave diffraction on small-scale inhomogeneities of the ionosphere, was developed. The dependence of the interval of the spatial correlation of the fading in a single-beam of decameter radio line from parameters of small-scale ionospheric inhomogeneities that are equivalent to the length of the radio line and from selection of the operating frequency signal through the value of standard deviation of fluctuations of the phase of the wave front at the outlet of the inhomogeneous ionosphere was obtained. It is shown that under conditions when the fluctuations of the phase front of the wave at the ionospheric outlet exceed 1.25 radians, the known simplified expression for estimating the interval of spatial correlation of fading can be used in a single-beam decameter radio line with an error of no more than 5%