Investigation of the inhomogeneous structure of the ionosphere based on the registration of polarization and amplitude characteristics during vertical sounding

The influence of local inhomogeneities of the electron density of the Earth’s ionosphere on the amplitude of the reflected signal and its polarization characteristics during vertical sounding by frequency-modulated radiation has been studied. A model of an anisotropic ionosphere and two polarizations corresponding to ordinary and extraordinary waves are considered. Mathematical modelling of ray propagation is based on the Hamilton-Lukin bicharacteristics method, and the calculation of the amplitudes is based on Lukin’s extended bicharacteristic system. The results of numerical simulation are presented. It is shown that during propagation in the ionospheric layers, the polarization characteristics change significantly, however, when leaving the ionosphere, they are restored and turn out to be almost the same as those of the incident wave. The frequency dependences of the amplitudes of the reflected signals, as well as the influence of local inhomogeneity, are studied