Abstract
IN two recent communications to these columns1,2 we have reported the existence of powerful radio emissions in the 5-metre wave-length band from sunspot areas. Since such radio waves must travel through regions of considerable ionization in escaping from the sun, it occurred to us that the magneto-ionic theory of radio wave propagation3, which has proved so useful in elucidating phenomena in the terrestrial ionosphere, would be applicable in the case of the corresponding solar envelope. According to, this theory, characteristic polarizations are imposed on radio waves in their transmission through an ionized medium under the influence of a magnetic field, due either to differential absorption of the oppositely polarized magneto-ionic components or to the suppression of one component by electron limitation. Such effects are most pronounced if the radio wave frequency in question is either of the same order as, or less than, the electronic gyro-frequency determined by the imposed magnetic field. There is also the possibility that the noise itself has a magneto-gyric (electronic) origin.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Appleton, Nature, 156, 534, (1945).
Hey, Nature, 157, 47, (1946).
Appleton, J. Inst. Elect. Eng., 71, 645, (1932).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
APPLETON, E., HEY, J. Circular Polarization of Solar Radio Noise. Nature 158, 339 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/158339a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/158339a0
This article is cited by
-
Sixty-five years of solar radioastronomy: flares, coronal mass ejections and Sun–Earth connection
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (2008)
-
Die Kurzwellenstrahlung der Milchstra�e, der Sonne und des Mondes
Die Naturwissenschaften (1947)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.