LONG DISTANCE V.H.F. FIELDS: I. PARTIAL REFLECTION FROM A STANDARD ATMOSPHERE

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Abstract
Reliable propagation of V.H.F. waves and microwaves from high power transmitters to distances of several hundred miles beyond optical range has been demonstrated by an ever increasing number of experiments during the last ten years. The fields which have been observed have consistently been many times greater than the field strengths predicted by the "effective radius" theory. The present paper will be published in two parts. In Part I the theory that the phenomenon can be explained solely in terms of "partial internal reflection" from elementary layers of a dielectric distribution where the rate of decrease of (μ – 1) with height is everywhere continuous and of the same order of magnitude as in a "standard" atmosphere is carefully examined and found to be untenable. In Part II, the case where the distribution contains "sharp layers" (i.e., local regions where (μ – 1) changes relatively rapidly with height) is examined and it is found that these could cause the phenomenon. However, in view of the other characteristics of the observed field, it is concluded that the effect in question is probably more usually due to scattering of the electromagnetic waves from atmospheric turbulence.

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