The Effects of the Terrestrial Ionosphere on the Radio Waves from Discrete Sources in the Galaxy

Observations of the discrete sources of radio waves in the galaxy have shown the existence of irregular refraction processes m the terrestrial ionosphere. These irregularities cause rapid fluctuations in the intensity of the radiation at the ground, whilst observations with aerials of high resolving power have shown, in addition, that the apparent position of a source may vary irregularly by 2–3 minutes of arc. The incidence of these irregularities shows a marked diurnal variation having a maximum at about $${01}^\text{h}\,{00}^\text{m}$$ local time. It does not seem possible to account for the irregularities in the ionosphere in terms of solar emissions, and an alternative mechanism is proposed which is based on the interception of interstellar matter moving under the gravitational attraction of the Sun. If this hypothesis is correct, further experiments may provide information of interest in theories of the accretion of matter by the Sun.