Theory of the reflexion of low-frequency radio waves obliquely incident on the ionosphere

The properties of the two principal reflexions for radio waves obliquely incident on a horizontally stratified ionosphere in and near the magnetic meridian plane, for frequencies less than the electron gyrofrequency, are investigated using 'full wave’ numerical methods. When the wave normal of the incident wave is close to either of two directions, which are in the magnetic meridian plane, at particular angles θb and θe to the vertical, then for propagation from south to north (northern hemisphere), the polarizations of the two reflexions are found to take anomalous values. This behaviour is related to the properties of the Booker quartic equation. An extraordinary wave incident at an angle near θe in the N–S direction generates some of the upgoing ‘whistler’ mode, an d this process is also investigated.