A range of shortwave frequencies will be returned to earth by the ionosphere such that long-distance shortwave communication is accomplished. Because of ionospheric variations, operation parameters are not the same in different time duration. We must select optimized parameters with the aim of utilizing the ionosphere effectively for shortwave radio communications. Shortwave propagation prediction programs can provide such information. Empirical models are often used to represent the variations of the electron density with height in the ionosphere, since radio propagations are concerned with electron density. We develop a graphical user interface based on VOACAP that is one of the most widely used prediction programs. We also improve the electron density model in VOACAP. A gradient discontinuity occurs in the original parabolic ionospheric model. We incorporate an electron density model that does not contain any gradient discontinuities. In this model the electron density profile is composed of three segments: (1) a cosine F2 layer; (2) an E-F layer comprising a secant function, and optional cosine function to provide an F1 ledge (3) a parabolic E layer. Compared with experimental data, our modified model results in more accurate predictions.

published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

viii, 145 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Mawson Institute, 1978

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Physics and Electronics))--Rhodes University, 2003.

X-ray imaging exams are widely used procedures in medical diagnosis. Whenever an x-ray imaging procedure is performed, it is accompanied by scattered radiation. Scatter is a significant contributor to the degradation of image quality in breast CT. This work uses our understanding of the physics of Compton scattering to overcome the reduction in image quality that typically results from scattered radiation. By measuring the energy of the scattered photons at various locations about the object, an electron density (ρe) image of the object can be obtained. This work investigates a system modeled using a 2D cross-sectional view of a breast CT geometry. The ρe images can be obtained using filtered backprojection over isogonic curves. If the detector has ideal energy and spatial resolution, a single projection will enable a high quality image to be reconstructed. However, these ideal characteristics cannot be achieved in practice and as the detector size and energy resolution diverge from the ideal, the image quality degrades. To compensate for the realistic detector specifications a multi-projection Compton scatter tomography (MPCST) approach was introduced. In this approach an x-ray source and an array of energy sensitive photon counting detectors located just outside the edge of the incident fan-beam, rotate around the object while acquiring scattering data. The ρe image quality is affected by the size of the detector, the energy resolution of the detector and the number of projections. These parameters, their tradeoffs and the methods for the image quality improvement were investigated. The work has shown that increasing the energy and spatial resolution of the detector improves the spatial resolution of the reconstructed ρe image. These changes in the size and energy resolution result in an increase in the noise. Thus optimizing the image quality becomes a tradeoff between blurring and noise. We established that a suitable balance is achieved with a 500 eV energy resolution and 2×2 mm2 detector. We have also established that using a multi-projection approach can offset the increase in the noise.

The first ground based observations of aeronomic phenomena in the South Atlantic Anomaly Region are presented. These data show that enhancements in foF2 and foE can be directly attributed to precipitated electron energy fluxes in the Anomaly Region. The regular occurrence of particle induced sporadic-E ionization is also presented together with the first measurable 391.4 nm airglow radiation of about 16 R. The first comprehensive survey of energy fluxes carried by energetic particles using satellites is also presented for both daytime and nighttime as well as the seasonal fluctuations. We found that the nocturnally precipitated electron energy fluxes varied between 1 x 10⁻⁴ and 38 x 10⁻⁴ erg cm²s⁻¹, depending upon magnetic activity and season, whereas the daytime precipitated electron energy fluxes tended to vary between 1 x 10⁻³ and 8 x 10⁻³ erg cm⁻²s⁻¹, with a tendency to decrease during magnetically active periods. Electron density and temperature contours as well as NO⁺ and 0⁺ ions contours for nighttime are also presented. The main conclusion of the study is that precipitating electrons provide a significant and sometimes dominant source of ionization in the ionosphere over the South Atlantic Anomaly Region.

This thesis describes the search for a temporal model for predicting the peak ionospheric electron density-(foF2). Existing models, such as the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) and 8KYCOM, were used to predict the 12 noon foF2 value over Grahamstown (26°E, 33°8). An attempt was then made to find a model that would improve upon these results. The traditional method of linear regression was used as a first step towards a new model. It was found that this would involve a multi variable regression that is reliant on guessing the optimum variables to be used in the final equation. An extremely complicated modelling equation involving many terms would result. Neural networks (NNs) are introduced as a new technique for predicting foF2. They are also applied, for the first time, to the problem of determining the best predictors of foF2. This quantity depends upon day number, level of solar activity and level of magnetic activity. The optimum averaging lengths of the solar activity index and the magnetic activity index were determined by appling NNs, using the criterion that the best indices are those that give the lowest rms error between the measured and predicted foF2. The optimum index for solar activity was found to be a 2-month running mean value of the daily sunspot number and for magnetic activity a 2-day averaged A index was found to be optimum. In addition, it was found that the response of foF2 to magnetic activity changes is highly non-linear and seasonally dependent. Using these indices as inputs, the NN trained successfully to predict foF2 with an rms error of 0.946 MHz on the daily testing values. Comparison with the IRI showed an improvement of 40% on the rms error. It is also shown that the NN will predict the noon value of foF2 to the same level of accuracy for unseen data of the same type.

From Introduction: The minimum in the scalar magnitude of the geographic total field, which lies off the coast of Brazil, allows the mirror points of trapped particles to dip low into the atmosphere over the South Atlantic Ocean, resulting in two regions of maximum intensity of preciptated particles in that region, one from the inner belt and one from the outer. High charged particle fluxes have been observed at low altitudes over these regions by satellites Sputnik 5 and 6 (Ginsburg et al, 1961) and Discoverer 31 (Seward and Kornblum, 1963) amongst others. The more southerly of these two regions acts as a sink for electrons from the outer radiation belt and will be referred to in what follows as the Southern Radiation Anomaly. Gladhill and van Rooyen (1963) predicted that the energy deposited in the upper atmosphere by these charged particles would be sufficient to give rise to enhanced geophysical effects such as auroral emission, X-rays and ionization and heating of the upper atmosphere in this region. Although some of these effects have been correlated with precipitated electrons, no definite relation had until now been established between ionospheric effects and precipitated particles. The aim of this thesis was to investigate such a relationship and the results were extremely successful. It will be shown conclusively in what follows, that the precipitation of electrons can account for the ionospheric disturbances defined by a disturbance criterion at all stations around L=4. Part I describes the exploration of the radiation belts and the magnetosphere with rockets and satellites. The resulting theoretical models based on the observations are discussed. A brief review is given of the work that has been done to date to derive equations for the loss and replenishment of particles in the belts. Because of the complexity of these and the number of doubtful factors involved, a simple model of injection of electrons into the outer belt is devised, giving average values of trapped and precipitated electron fluxes at any point around L=4. In Part II, this model is employed together with the disturbance criterion of Gledhill and Torr (1965) to examine the relationship between ionospheric disturbances and electron fluxes. Also the energy range of the precipitated particles is examined.

As early as 1896, around the time of the discovery of the electron by J.J. Thompson, Birkeland was led to propose that aurorae were caused by fast moving electrons or similarly charged particles emitted by the sun and 'sucked in towards' the auroral zones by the geomagnetic field. He later supported this idea by firing electrons at a dipole field surrounding a sphere covered with a fluorescent coating. Extensive ground based observations of auroral features eventually led, in 1950, to the initial direct evidence of the fact that auroral emissions are due to energetic charged particles, consisting partly of protons, entering the earth's atmosphere (Meinel, 1951). However, it was only in 1952 and 1953 that the first measurements of what was later interpreted as bremsstrahlung X- rays from precipitating electrons were made at auroral latitudes. (Meredith et aI, 1955) During the IGY, 1957 - 1958, a number of rockets were fired through and near, visible aurorae and large fluxes of low energy electrons were detected ... Intro., p. 1.