(i/7/-:?()t~ I REPORT NO. IJOT - TSC - NASA - 71 - 6 CA S E F f L £_. AT OSPHEllC CO e :t ·· · TRANS ISSION HANDBOOK: ASURVEY OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE TRANSMISSION IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE OVEI THE FREQUENCY (WAVELENGTH) RANGE 3kHz (100km) 3,000 1Hz(0.1pm) WILLIAM t THOMPSON, m ,\ TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER 55 BROADWAY CAMBRIDGE, MA 82142 f EBRUARY 1971 TECHNICAL REPORT 0.-,.~~'.·~~-:,q.:.~ ·_- AVAILABILITY IS UNLIMITED. DOCUMENT MAY BE RELEASED .,.:/1ff\'fH} t'i\ . TO THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE, .., .,:,)\':~ · ' ·.,,, · '· . SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA 22151, FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC. ,. '>,,Y · ~A{ i,~i;r :m,t t {1•· ~->,}:::~ ··"' ..,J~t , . '~~;t;;? Prepared for \\tit\ .· .. · .~sr.;- . NAnONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINIS.iok;~.i"f t WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 ?:t .. ·.·.· 1. Report No. I 2. Government Accession No. '3. Recipient's Catalog No. 4. Title and Subtitle Atmospheric Transmission Handbook: A Survey 5. Report Date of Electromagnetic Wave Transmission in the Februarv 1971 Earth's Atmosphere Over the Frequency (Wave- 6. Performing Organization Code length) Range 3 kHz (100 km) - 3,000 THz (0,1 uml TER 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. William I. Thompson, III DOT-TSC-NASA-71-6 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. U.S. Department of Transportation 164-21-10-05-25 ·Transportation Systems Center 11. Contract or Grant No. Cambridge, MA 02142 13. Type of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address National Aeronautics and Technical Report Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract This handbook presents material on electromagnetic wave transmission in the earth's atmosphere with emphasis on earth-to-space paths up to January 1970. This type of information is needed in such varied fields as air pollution, astronomy, communications, earth resources, geodesy, meteorology, and navigation. Part I presents basic background information dealing with trans- mission fundamentals, the properties of electromagnetic waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the earth's atmosphere. Part II is a guide to information on the transmission properties of the earth's atmosphere to electromagnetic radiation. A major feature of Part II is the listing of tables of contents of several books and major articles on atmospheric transmission. Part III contains selected transmission information on the following observable quantities: refraction, absorption, and scattering. Part IV is a bibliography to be published in a separate volume -entitled Atmosoheric Transmission Biblioaranhv 1960-1969: A KWIC Index of Electromaanetic Wave Transmission in the Earth's Atmosohere over the Freguencr (Wavelen~th) Ran~e 3 kHz 100 km) - 3,ooo THz (0.l um). The bibliography covers the frequency regions: radio, microwave, infrared, visible, and ultraviolet. There is a listing of citations by local accession number, a key-word-in-context (KWIC) index or permuted title index, and an author index. 17. Key Wards· 18. Distribution Statement •Earth-to-Space Paths •Infrared •Transmission Fundamentals •Visible •Transmission Properties •Radio •Transmission Information •Microwave Unclassified - Unlimited •Propagation •Ultraviolet 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No, of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 300 CONTENTS Section PREFACE •••••e .. ••••• .. ••••••e••• vii PART I. ATMOSPHERIC TRANSMISSION FUNDAMENTALS LO OVERVIEW •• . 1 Suminary. • . • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • 1 Transmission Principles •••••••••••• 1 Conclusions .................. 6 2.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES ••• . 6 2.1 Suminary. • • . • • • . • • • . • • • • . 6 2.2 Wave Velocity ••••••••••••• . 7 2.3 Frequency and Wavelength ••••••• . 9 2.4 Space-Time Relationship •••••••• . 10 2.5 Polarization ••••••••••••• . 11 2.6 Rays and Wavefronts •••••••••• . 12 2.7 Spherical Waves and the Inverse-Square Law . 13 2.8 Field Intensity and Power Density ••• . 16 2.9 Dispersion •••••••••••••• 18 3.0 THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM . •••••••. 18 3.1 s Uill1n ary . • • • . 18 3.2 Electromagnetic Spectrum Notation ••• . 18 3.3 Frequency Spectrum Charts ••••••• D • 0 • 18 3.4 Electromagnetic Frequency Management. 26 4.0 GUIDE TO ATMOSPHERIC DATA. ~ . 26 4 .. 1 SUilllnary. • o • • • • • • • • • • • . .. 26 4.2 Types of Atmospheric Data ••••••• • 9 • • 29 4.3 Bibliographies and Reviews •••••• • • $ • 30 4.4 Books •••••••••• . 32 4.5 Periodicals •••••••••••••••••• 40 4.6 Information Centers •••••••••••••• 42 4.7 Global Data •••••••••••••••••• 43 4.8 Computational Aids •••••••••••••• 44 PART II. ATMOSPHERIC TRANSMISSION SOURCEBOOK 5.0 INFORMATION RETRIEVAL. 45 5.1 Introduction . 45 5.2 Information Centers. 46 iii CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page llil • • 46 5.3 Books o • e • a • e • . 5 .. 4 Periodicals •••••••••••••••••• 51 5.5 Reports and Theses •••••••••••••• 52 5.6 Symposiums and Conferences •••••••• 53 5.7 Computational Aids • • • • • • • • • • • • 53 5.8 Patents •• e ••••••• . 59 6.0 INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THE RADIO REGION •. 59 6.1 Introduction •• . • • • • • • • e 59 6.2 Bibliographies. 60 6.3 Reviews ••••• . 60 6.4 Books •••••••••••••• . 60 6.5 Periodicals ••••••.• . 109 6.6 Information Centers ••••• . 109 6.7 Computational Aids ••••••• . 109 7.0 INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THE OPTICAL REGION. 109 7.1 Introduction •••• . 109 7.2 Bibliographies •••• . 112 7.3 Reviews •••••••• 113 7.4 Books. • • • • . • • . 113 7.5 Periodicals •••••••• . 154 7.6 Information Centers •••• . 154 7.7 Computational Aids •••• 154 PART III. ATMOSPHERIC TRANSMISSION DATA 8.0 REFRACTION • • • . 157 8.1 Introduction • • • • • • • • . 157 8.2 Complex Index of Refraction •••••••••• 157 8.3 Dispersion •••••••••••••••••• 159 8.4 Typical Ray Path Trajectory in a Transatmospheric Path ••••••.••• 159 0 ·ts Regular Ionospheric Refraction •••••.•• 162 8.6 Tropospheric and Ionospheric Refraction Errors at 555 km Altitude •••••••••• 164 8.7 Optical Refractive Modulus of the Troposphere •••••••••••••.••• 164 8.8 Radio Refractive Modulus of the Troposphere •••••••••••.••••• 166 8.9 Vertical Profiles of Refractive Modulus •••• 168 8.10 Astronomical Refraction: Measurements and Theory O 9 0 $ el • 0 e O Ill O e II' e O O 0 171 iv CONTENTS (Continued) Section 8.11 A Nomogram for Atmospheric Radio Refraction. 172 8.12 Optical Astronomical Refraction .•••••. 178 8.13 Comments on Irregular Refraction •••. 178 8.14 S1.llll.Inary. e • • e • • • • Cl • • g • • • • • • • • 180 9.0 ABSORPTION 9.1 Introduction . 181 9.2 Relative Transparency of the Earth's Atmosphere. 181 9.3 Absorption Coefficients. 183 9.4 Ionospheric Absorption . 185 9.5 Gaseous Absorption . 190 9.6 Atmospheric Aerosols . 228 9.7 Atmospheric Hydrometeors . 230 10.0 SCATTERING 10.1 Introduction . .. 232 10.2 Scattering Coefficients. 232 10.3 Rayleigh Scattering Coefficients . 234 10.4 Mie Scattering Coefficients. 237 10.5 Ionospheric Scattering. 238 10.6 Tropospheric Scattering. 239 10.7 Atmospheric Hydrometeor Scattering . 240 10.8 Atmospheric Aerosol Scattering . 242 REFERENCES Chapter 1 . 244 Chapter 2 . 245 Chapter 3 . 245 Chapter 4 . 246 Chapter 5 . 253 Chapter 6 . 257 Chapter 7 . 264 Chapter 8 . 0 . 270 Chapter 9 . 274 Chapter 10 . 288 V PREFACE This survey is the result of a request of A. M. Greg Andrus, John J. Kelleher*, Jules Lehmann, and Theodore George of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters. It was compiled while the author was with the former NASA Electronics Research Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The basic task was to locate and collect information on the electromagnetic properties of the earth's atmosphere as they re­ late to earth-to-space propagation paths. This information was to be presented in handbook form for ready reference. The present document are an attempt to fulfill this requirement and in addi­ tion point to hundreds of other sources of pertinent information. I wish to acknowledge the suggestions, comments and encourage­ ment of George G. Haroules** and Alfred c. Holland*** of the Electronics Research Center in the formulation and preparation of this handbook. I would also like to thank Judith Hubbard of Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, for her proof­ reading efforts. William I. Thompson III U.S. Department of Transportation Transportation Systems Center Cambridge, MA 02142 February 5, 1971 *Now with National Scientific Laboratories, Inc., McLean, VA **Now with DOT Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, MA ***Now with the NASA Wallops Station, Wallops Island, VA vii PART I. ATMOSPHERIC TRANSMISSION FUNDAMENTALS 1.0 OVERVIEW 1.1 SUMMARY This handbook presents material on electromagnetic wave transmission in the earth's atmosphere with emphasis on earth­ to-space paths up to January 1970. This type of information is needed in such varied fields as air pollution, astronomy, communi­ cations, earth resources, geodesy, meteorology, and navigation. Part I presents basic background information dealing with transmission fundamentals, the properties of electromagnetic waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the earth's atmosphere. Part II is a guide to information on the transmission properties of the earth's atmosphere to electromagnetic radiation. A major feature of Part II is the listing of tables of contents of several books and major articles on atmospheric transmission. Part III contains selected transmission information on the following observable quantities: refraction, absorption, and scattering. Part IV is a bibliography