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F region

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130:, during high solar activity periods can refract and thus block signals of up to about 15 MHz from reaching the F1 and F2 regions, with the result that distances are much shorter than possible with refractions from the F1 and F2 regions. But extremely low radiation-angle signals (lower than about 6 degrees) can reach distances of 3000 km (1900 miles) via E region refractions. 320: 74:. It acts as a dependable reflector of HF radio signals as it is not affected by atmospheric conditions, although its ionic composition varies with the sunspot cycle. It reflects normal-incident frequencies at or below the 86:
The F1 layer is the lower sector of the F layer and exists from about 150 to 220 km (100 to 140 miles) above the surface of the Earth and only during daylight hours. It is composed of a mixture of molecular
99:(at ~90 km, 56 miles). This atomic oxygen provides the O atomic ions that make up the F2 layer. The F1 layer has approximately 5 × 10 e/cm (free electrons per cubic centimeter) at noontime and minimum 160:
layer has about 10 e/cm. However, variations are usually large, irregular, and particularly pronounced during magnetic storms. The F layer behaviour is dominated by the complex thermospheric winds.
43:, while 'region' is the volume that contains the said layer. The F region contains ionized gases at a height of around 150–800 km (100 to 500 miles) above sea level, placing it in the Earth's 324: 95:
and NO, and atomic ions O. Above the F1 region, atomic oxygen becomes the dominant constituent because lighter particles tend to occupy higher altitudes above the
119: 103:
activity, and increases to roughly 2 × 10 e/cm during maximum sunspot activity. The density falls off to below 10 e/cm at night.
329: 229: 362: 126:
layer. However, this depends upon the frequency of a propagating signal. The E layer electron density and resultant MUF,
55:, where chemical composition varies with height. Generally speaking, the F region has the highest concentration of free 298: 335: 258: 118:
Though fairly regular in its characteristics, it is not observable everywhere or on all days. The principal
36: 290: 185:
television and FM radio signals being received over great distances, well beyond the normal 40–100
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layer exists from about 220 to 800 km (140 to 500 miles) above the surface of the Earth. The F
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anywhere in the atmosphere. It may be thought of as comprising two layers, the F1 and F2 layers.
221: 32: 213: 142: 8: 357: 182: 75: 294: 225: 214: 153: 339: 122:
during the summer for paths of 2,000 to 3,500 km (1200 to 2200 miles) is the F
40: 284: 178: 351: 78:(approximately 10 MHz) and partially absorbs waves of higher frequency. 71: 52: 44: 246:
Ionospheric Propagation, Transmission Lines, and Antennas for the QRP DXer
39:. As with other ionospheric sectors, 'layer' implies a concentration of 96: 48: 24: 262: 190: 56: 173:
layer frequencies are the frequencies that will not go through the F
67: 100: 145:
during both day and night. The horizon-limited distance for one-
186: 88: 60: 70:(formerly the Kennelly-Heaviside layer) and below the 27:
is home to the F layer of ionization, also called the
248:, Milliwatt QRP Books, 2011, pp. 1-16, 1-22 to 1-24. 156:
is usually around 4,000 km (2500 miles). The F
349: 259:"Near-Real-Time F2-Layer Critical Frequency Map" 164: 141:layer is the principal reflecting layer for HF 212:Kamide, Yohsuke; Chian, Abraham C.-L. (2007). 216:Handbook of the solar-terrestrial environment 282: 35:and New Zealand physicist and meteorologist 211: 66:The F-region is located directly above the 177:layer. Under rare atmospheric conditions, 205: 350: 276: 251: 81: 13: 14: 374: 323: This article incorporates 318: 336:General Services Administration 238: 31:, after the English physicist 1: 199: 261:. spacew.com. Archived from 220:. Berlin: Springer. p.  165:Usage in radio communication 47:, a hot region in the upper 7: 363:Radio frequency propagation 10: 379: 291:Cambridge University Press 286:The Electronics of Radio 181:can occur, resulting in 128:maximum usable frequency 111:layer merges into the F 331:Federal Standard 1037C 325:public domain material 29:Appleton–Barnett layer 283:Rutledge, D. (1999). 143:radio communications 193:) reception area. 16:Layer in ionosphere 293:. pp. 2–237. 76:critical frequency 51:, and also in the 231:978-3-540-46315-3 370: 344: 343: 338:. Archived from 322: 321: 311: 310: 308: 307: 280: 274: 273: 271: 270: 255: 249: 242: 236: 235: 219: 209: 120:reflecting layer 82:F1 and F2 layers 378: 377: 373: 372: 371: 369: 368: 367: 348: 347: 328: 319: 317: 314: 305: 303: 301: 281: 277: 268: 266: 257: 256: 252: 243: 239: 232: 210: 206: 202: 196: 176: 172: 167: 159: 152: 140: 136: 125: 115:layer at night. 114: 110: 94: 84: 33:Edward Appleton 17: 12: 11: 5: 376: 366: 365: 360: 346: 345: 342:on 2022-01-22. 313: 312: 299: 275: 250: 244:Adrian Weiss, 237: 230: 203: 201: 198: 179:F2 propagation 174: 170: 166: 163: 162: 161: 157: 150: 138: 134: 131: 123: 116: 112: 108: 92: 83: 80: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 375: 364: 361: 359: 356: 355: 353: 341: 337: 333: 332: 326: 316: 315: 302: 300:9780521646451 296: 292: 288: 287: 279: 265:on 2014-06-28 264: 260: 254: 247: 241: 233: 227: 223: 218: 217: 208: 204: 197: 194: 192: 189:(64–161  188: 184: 180: 155: 148: 144: 132: 129: 121: 117: 106: 105: 104: 102: 98: 90: 79: 77: 73: 72:protonosphere 69: 64: 62: 58: 54: 50: 46: 42: 38: 37:Miles Barnett 34: 30: 26: 22: 340:the original 330: 304:. Retrieved 285: 278: 267:. Retrieved 263:the original 253: 245: 240: 215: 207: 195: 168: 85: 65: 53:heterosphere 45:thermosphere 28: 20: 18: 154:propagation 358:Ionosphere 352:Categories 306:2014-12-07 269:2014-12-07 200:References 169:Critical F 97:turbopause 49:atmosphere 25:ionosphere 57:electrons 68:E region 21:F region 101:sunspot 23:of the 297:  228:  41:plasma 327:from 187:miles 133:The F 107:The F 295:ISBN 226:ISBN 89:ions 61:ions 59:and 19:The 222:199 183:VHF 147:hop 354:: 334:. 289:. 224:. 191:km 309:. 272:. 234:. 175:2 171:2 158:2 151:2 149:F 139:2 135:2 124:1 113:2 109:1 93:2 91:O

Index

ionosphere
Edward Appleton
Miles Barnett
plasma
thermosphere
atmosphere
heterosphere
electrons
ions
E region
protonosphere
critical frequency
ions
turbopause
sunspot
reflecting layer
maximum usable frequency
radio communications
hop
propagation
F2 propagation
VHF
miles
km
Handbook of the solar-terrestrial environment
199
ISBN
978-3-540-46315-3
"Near-Real-Time F2-Layer Critical Frequency Map"
the original

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