A General Analytic Solution for Reflection From a Sharply Bounded Anisotropic Ionosphere

Abstract

A closed, general solution for the reflection coefficient matrix of a sharply bounded, anisotropic, homogeneous ionosphere is presented. A coordinate system used by Budden is introduced that leads to simplified boundary condition equations. In this system the solution for the general case reduces to one similar to that obtained by Crombie for the special case of propagation from east to west, or west to east. A solution to the quartic equation is given which simplifies the computation.