DETERMINATION OF THE ELECTRON DENSITY IN THE IONOSPHERE BY THE PULSE DELAY TECHNIQUE

Rocketborne pulse-delay and pulse-phase experiments were developed to measure integrated free electron density between a rocket operating in the ionosphere and stations on the earth's surface. Electron density is related to the group delay and phase velocity of transmitted signals, and is attained by measuring these parameters. The transit time and phase velocity of probing signals near the critical frequency of the layer of ionosphere under investigation, are compared with those of a reference signal which suffers negligible effects during transit. Three rockets were instrumentated with upward transmission pulse delay experiments and launched, and a fourth, instrumented with a downward pulse-phase delay experiment, was brought to a state of near readiness. A miniature, rocketborne system has resulted which is capable of yielding parameters related to electron density. While of limited value in a highly disturbed ionosphere, the experiment is a valuable source of data in an undisturbed medium. (Author)