George A. Hufford

Abstract: When wave propagation through a stratified atmosphere is formulated in operator theoretic terms, it becomes evident that the problem does not follow the guide of the usual examples of mathematical physics. Nevertheless, such a formulation is useful to reveal why many of the usual procedures are valid and where they may be deficient. In particular, even if the refractivity profile is merely required to belong to a general class of perhaps badly discontinuous functions, the problem always has a well–behaved solution that may be subjected to a modal analysis. On the other hand, the resulting mode series converges neither rapidly nor uniformly, and, as the asymptotic behavior of the modes shows, one is advised to use that series only with caution.

Keywords: radio wave propagation; Airy functions; contraction semi-groups; creeping wave modes; modal analysis; stratified atmospheres; wave guide modes; weak convergence

Disclaimer: Certain commercial equipment, components, and software may be identified in this report to specify adequately the technical aspects of the reported results. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, nor does it imply that the equipment or software identified is necessarily the best available for the particular application or uses.

For questions or information on this or any other NTIA scientific publication, contact the ITS Publications Office at ITSinfo@ntia.gov or 303-497-3572.

Back to Search Results