Abstract. High-frequency power reflection and transmission coefficients of horizontally polarised waves are calculated for an opaque sporadic E-layer as a function of the edge profile, the edge thickness and the electron density. The inhomogeneous edge layer is treated by numerical integration of the full-wave equations for the total tangential fields. The behaviour of the curves presented for the normal and the oblique incidence of waves are explained by considering the total reflection phenomena in the inhomogeneous layer. The results indicate that the reflection and transmission coefficients depend significantly on the edge-profile and that the thickness of the edge should decrease with the electron density in order to explain the observed very high order of dependence of the power reflection coefficient on the electron density.

Print publication: Issue 3 (21 February 1978)