Abstract
THE characteristics of audio musical atmospherics which are obtained when an audio amplifier is placed in a long line or aerial have been discussed from time to time1. Messrs. Burton and Boardman have given an account of their observations in which the musical atmospherics are considered to fall into two categories distinguished mainly by their duration and the frequency gamut covered. The short musical atmospherics which occur only at night time, variously christened tweeks or chinks lasting 1/201/5 sec. and covering a gamut of frequency 4,000 to nearly 1,600, can be adequately explained as the multiple reflections between the earth and ionosphere. The more interesting long-duration audio atmospherics, variously called swishes, whistlers, Pfeiftone, have received no adequate explanation although many suggestions have been offered. I have maintained for some time that the effect is due to the dispersion of a pulse in the ionosphere, and a theory has been developed which accounts for the main characteristics of such audio atmospherics.
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References
Barkhausen, Phys. Z., 20, 401–403; 1919. Proc. I.R.E., 18, No.7; July 1930. Shellang, Bell Tel. J., Aug. 1930. Eckersley, Phil. Mag., 49, 1250; 1925. NATURE, 122, 768; 1928. Burton, NATURE, 126, 55; 1930. Barton and Boardman, Bell. Tel. J., 12, 498–516; 1933.
Darwin, NATURE, 133, 62; 1934.
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ECKERSLEY, T. Musical Atmospherics. Nature 135, 104–105 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/135104a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/135104a0
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