Abstract
IT has long been appreciated that an eclipse of the sun represents a unique opportunity of examining the effects of a temporary reduction or cessation of solar radiation on the ionosphere and the consequent effects on the propagation of radio waves. Observations of the influence of a solar eclipse on the reception of wireless signals have been made for more than thirty years past ; and particular attention has been given to the use of radio wave-sounding technique to examine the changes brought about in the ionosphere by solar eclipses from 1927 onwards. The results of such previous investigations have shown quite definitely that ultra-violet radiation is the main cause of ionization of the lower layers of the ionosphere ; but in the case of the upper region or F1 layer, the results have usually been somewhat inconclusive. It has always been realized that swiftly moving neutral particles or corpuscles emitted by the sun could cause ionization in the upper regions of the atmosphere: because such particles travel much slower than light, there is an important difference in times of occurrence of what may be termed the Optical eclipse' and 'particle eclipse' respectively. In consequence of the motions of the moon and the earth, the particle eclipse can occur from one to two hours in advance of the optical eclipse, the actual difference in time depending upon the velocity of the particles.
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SMITH-ROSE, R. THE SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 1945 AND RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION. Nature 157, 40–42 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/157040a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/157040a0
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