Statistical Methods in Radio Wave Propagation

Statistical Methods in Radio Wave Propagation contains the proceedings of a symposium held at the University of California, Los Angeles, on June 18-20, 1958. The papers explore the use of statistical techniques in the analysis and interpretation of data pertaining to the propagation of radio waves. The discussion is organized around three themes: statistical theory and methodology; radio propagation phenomena having a joint statistical and physical structure; and instrumentation. This book is comprised of 23 chapters and begins by summarizing the principal results of a series of statistical studies on the intensity distributions due to rapid fading. The reader is then introduced to some theoretical investigations on fading phenomena; radio-measurement of ionospheric drift as a problem in parameter estimation; the propagation of random radiation in free space; and the statistics of working spells and periods of breakdown for a number of radio links in series. The remaining chapters deal with airborne measurements of tropospheric index of refraction fluctuations; the distribution of the fade lengths of a randomly fading radio signal; diversity statistics in scatter propagation; and extrapolation of spatial correlation functions. The final chapter describes a rapid statistical data processing system for radio propagation research. This monograph will be a useful resource for both radio scientists and statisticians.

Preface Section I. Statistical Theory and Methodology The m-Distribution—A General Formula of Intensity Distribution of Rapid Fading Some Theoretical Investigations on Fading Phenomena Radio-Measurement of Ionospheric Drift as a Problem in Parameter Estimation A Study of Sea Clutter Spectra On the Propagation of Random Radiation in Free Space The Multidimensional Prediction Problem The Components of Power Appearing in the Harmonic Analysis of a Stationary Process Some Statistical Methods of Potential Value in Radio Wave Propagation Investigations A Theoretical Study of the Statistics of Working Spells and Periods of Breakdown for a Number of Radio Links in Series Use of the Tetrachoric Cross-Correlation in Hypotheses Concerning Auto-Correlated Fading Signals Section II. Radio Propagation Phenomenology Antenna Tolerance Theory Modification of a Ray-Tracer for Monte Carlo Prediction of Multiple-Scattered Radio Fields An Analysis of Airborne Measurements of Tropospheric Index of Refraction Fluctuations Transhorizon Measurement Techniques The Distribution of the Fade Lengths of a Randomly Fading Radio Signal The Lognormal Distribution and its Applications to Atmospheric Studies Measured Distributions of the Instantaneous Envelope Amplitude and Instantaneous Frequency of Carriers Plus Thermal and Atmospheric Noise The Error in Prediction of F2 Maximum Usable Frequencies by World Maps Based on Sunspot Number Clarification of Diversity Statistics in Scatter Propagation The Extrapolation of Spatial Correlation Functions Etude d'une Méthode d'Analyse Statistique de Données Expérimentales en Propagation Troposphérique Section III. Instrumentation for Processing Radio Propagation Data Statistical Analysis Equipment for Propagation Research A Rapid Statistical Data Processing System for Radio Propagation Research