Generation Of Artificial Geomagnetic Micropulsations With A Large Ground Based Current Loop

Generation of Artificial Geomagnetic Micropulsations with a Large Ground Based Current Loop

The purpose of this study is to investigate and, if possible, establish the feasibility of producing artificial geomagnetic micropulsations by using a large horizontal current loop on the ground. Most natural micropulsations appear to be produced by hydromagnetic (hm) waves propagating in the ionosphere and/or the magnetosphere, and the term 'artificial micropulsations' is used to mean artificially produced hm waves with propagation characteristics similar to those of the natural signals. The critical quantity in the generation process for the hm waves is to the amplitude of the magnetic field variation that can be produced in the ionospheric E-region by the ground-based loop. Currents are induced in the conducting earth beneath the loop whenever its current is varied, and these currents have a magnetic field opposing the magnetic field of the loop. If either the conductivity of the earth or the variation frequency is too high the field at E-region heights may be reduced to a level where negligible hm wave amplitudes are produced. The effect of these earth currents is calculated for an assumed single-layer earth and for a wide range of frequencies and earth conductivities. (Author).

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