Propagation and scattering of electromagnetic waves by the ionospheric irregularities

Summary form only given. Experimental observations suggest that quasi-periodic density irregularities could give rise to a significant ionospheric effect on wave propagation such as the scintillation of beacon satellite signals. A quasi-particle theory has been developed to study the scintillation phenomenon. The irregularities are modeled as a two-dimensional density modulation on an uniform background plasma. It is shown that this two-dimensional density grating effectively modulates the intensity of the beacon satellite signals. This spatial modulation of the wave intensity is converted into time modulation due to the drift of the ionospheric irregularities, which then contributes to the scintillation of the beacon satellite signals.