What is Ionosphere: Definition and 20 Discussions

The ionosphere () is the ionized part of Earth's upper atmosphere, from about 48 km (30 mi) to 965 km (600 mi) altitude, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important role in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. It has practical importance because, among other functions, it influences radio propagation to distant places on the Earth.

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  1. sacrovalle

    Recommendations on introductory reading to ionosphere phenomena

    Hello everyone! I'm currently an Aerospace major student entering my third year of college, studying in northern Mexico. After enrolling in a summer school by Mexico's national space weather lab, I have been offered an opportunity to participate in the development of an ionosonde antenna in my...
  2. N

    I Ionosphere: Causes of Electron Production & Recombination Reaction

    Hi, what causes the production of electrons in the ionosphere? The electron density results for photon ionization. How is there a depletion in electron density and why is it characterized by the following recombination reaction: O^+ + N_2 -> NO^+ +N ?
  3. hagopbul

    Are there other variables that control climate change?

    Hello all It's been a while ,as I read the almost daily news on climate change , some question come up to my mind , dose the ionosphere has any effect on climate change , as we all know now the Earth magnetic field is weakening ,and the temperature is rising ,dose this two variables related to...
  4. P

    I Electromagnetism in the Lithosphere and Ionosphere

    Hi guys, Disclaimer: not a physicist (I wish I was that brainy) Quick question regarding a speculative architecture project I am undertaking; In the completely hypothetical event of a huge, otherworldly solar flare super-charging the Earth's ionosphere beyond anything we have ever recorded...
  5. H

    I Basic discussion about the ionosphere

    The region of the ionosphere with highest electron density is where molecules and atoms are being ionized by photons radiated directly from the Sun. Is the rest of the ionosphere staying ionized mainly due to interactions with the free electrons and recombination photons that spread out from...
  6. Rod Alexei

    Only half the Earth’s ionosphere is being ionized by the Sun

    What is the reason for this? Is it because of the Earth's rotation?
  7. Tone L

    What instruments can measure electron density in the ionosphere?

    Is there an instrument or has there been an instrument that measures electron density in the ionosphere (50km - 450km)?
  8. E

    Modeling of Low Latitude Ionospheric Irregularities

    I'm studying Modelling of Low Latitude Ionospheric Irregularities by A. K. Singh et al., at a research level. I really need help on the explanation of this paper as several messages to the authors has left no replies. Link to the paper...
  9. V

    Ionospheric electron under non-uniform acceleration

    In 'Introduction to Mechanics' by Kleppner and Kolenkow...motion of ionospheric electron under non-uniform acceleration is x = (a0/w)t - (a0/w^2)sin wt...my question is when there is non-uniform acceleration, it makes sense to have sinusoidal part in the motion...but how come there is uniform...
  10. S

    [Ionosphere] Need to understand collision frequency in E layer

    Hi all, I am trying to understand about collision frequency that happened in ionosphere layer. In D region, below 90 km [Wait and Spies 1964] the ionospheric electron-neutral collision frequency given as v(h) = 1.816x10e11 exp(-0.15h) I just wondering, to who ever really expert in...
  11. I

    Nonuniform Acceleration - Radio Waves Effect on Ionosphere Electron

    Hi, Reading through an Introductory Mechanics Textbook, I don't understand a part of an example on Nonuniform Acceleration - The effect of a Radio Wave on an Ionosphere Electron. I've attached the link. Can someone please explain how: a0 = (-eE0/m)sinωt By my reasoning, since...
  12. S

    [MATLAB] complex permittivity for earth ionosphere syntax

    Homework Statement I have these equations: ga = exp(-σ^{R}Δt/ε_{0}*ε^{R}_{r}) Homework Equations σ^{R}=(ε_{0}*ω^{2}_{p}*v)/(ω^{2}+v^{2}) The Attempt at a Solution %ionospheric profile for earth-ionosphere waveguide as coefficients e = 1.602e-19; % electron charge...
  13. T

    Test My Idea: Create a Small Ionosphere with Electricity & Nickle

    I have no way to test an idea that I have been thinking about, but would like some one to test it. To keep it simple all you would need to do is take a piece of nickle and shock it with electricity. This would need to be done in a place that has a way to test if there is an Ionosphere. This...
  14. S

    Radiowaves bouncing off of ionosphere

    What is about the minimum wavelength that can bounce off of the ionosphere?
  15. C

    Radio waves propagation & ionosphere

    I've read that ionosphere mirrors the short radio waves (25-30 MHz). So 2 questions: Why this happens? There is material on the internet, but it's rather complicated for me so far, I've just started to study physics. So I'd appreciate if someone explains this in more or less simple way. Why...
  16. L

    Exploring the Mysterious Ionosphere: What Happens If It's Damaged?

    So as what i understand of this piece of our sky is that it is a bunch of ions collected together that does what? I know that we bounce radio signals off of it for HAM radios and other types of communications. I don't understand the ionosphere very much and would like to learn. What happens if...
  17. Y

    Daylight at Night using the Ionosphere?

    Is it possible and/or practical to shoot a beam of full spectrum (or limited spectrum) light into the ionosphere and have it diffuse across the sky the way we do with radio waves? I'm wondering if it's possible to make psuedo-daylight (or something akin to it) at night.
  18. B

    Could human activity have caused the Tunguska event?

    The tunguska event has no precedent in recent human history.If it did have one we would have heard in folklore of tidal waves,forests being flattened,towns,cities etc.There would even be craters in the ground formed recently.Did humans do something that enabled tunguska to happen.I have heard...
  19. B

    Turbulence in the ionosphere and global warming

    A smooth surface aborbs less sunlight than a rough one because more light is reflected. It takes relatively little energy to disturb a smooth surface.If the sea becomes more turbulent because of a changing wind direction or wind speed does the sea heat up more by absorbing more sunlight.And...
  20. K

    Why isn't radio wave reflection in the ionosphere direct?

    Hi, why the reflection in ionosphere isn't direct?,
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