Studying the Effects of the August 2017 Solar Eclipse using LF/MF
Signals of Opportunity
Abstract
We present observations and modeling of Low Frequency (LF; 30-300 kHz)
and Medium Frequency (MF; 300-3000 kHz) signals during 21-August-2017
“Great American Solar Eclipse” using Nationwide Differential GPS
(NDGPS) transmitters as a signal of opportunity. Apparent forward and
back scattering from the eclipse totality spot is presented for the
first time. The effect of the solar eclipse on the D-region electron
density is investigated using FDTD modeling. The waveguide parameters of
the totality spot are estimated to be h’ = 80 +/- 3 km and β = 0.9 +/-
0.1 km. The transition from an obscured ionosphere to a fully eclipsed
ionosphere may be slow, 10s of seconds, but the transition from a fully
eclipsed ionosphere to obscured likely occurred quite fast, less then a
second, when the Sun’s influence reappeared.