Date of Award:
5-2020
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Physics
Committee Chair(s)
Jan J. Sojka
Committee
Jan J. Sojka
Committee
David Peak
Committee
Bela Fejer
Committee
Michael Taylor
Committee
Jonathan Phillips
Abstract
High frequency radio continues to be an important communications medium. For example, commercial airlines use high frequency radios as their primary communications mode during transpolar crossings. It has been estimated that over 7000 transpolar flights occur each year. Unfortunately, during geomagnetic storms high frequency communications can become unreliable, especially near Earth's Polar Regions.
Space weather forecasters are burdened with the responsibility of predicting how radio signals might be affected during geomagnetic storms and passing that important information on to commercial airlines, allowing them to adjust flight plans accordingly. Such adjustments can be costly, but are necessary to ensure safety of flight crews and passengers.
Currently, the state-of-the-art prediction tool is an empirical model that provides a qualitative analysis of current conditions. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate several important parameters that govern polar cap absorption events in hopes of improving the existing state-of-the-art.
Checksum
27f36a0d5f5b46cd93c7d6db6fc0a905
Recommended Citation
Smith, David A., "Model-Based Properties of Earth's Protective Shield: Relating UT-Based Dependencies of the Open/Closed Boundary, Cutoff Latitude, and L-Shell Parameter with Polar Cap Absorption Events" (2020). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 7783.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7783
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