A method to test HF ray tracing algorithm in the ionosphere by means of the virtual time delay

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to validate HF ray tracing algorithms in the ionosphere by comparing calculated group delays with virtual delays derived from a perfect reflector model, showing high accuracy for monotonic density profiles.

Contribution

It introduces a validation approach using virtual time delays to assess the performance of 3D ray tracing algorithms in the ionosphere.

Findings

Small relative difference between calculated and virtual delays for monotonic density profiles

Validation method effective for both analytic and numerical density models

Supports the accuracy of the ray tracing algorithm in idealized conditions

Abstract

It is well known that a 3D ray tracing algorithm furnishes the ray's coordinates, the three components of the wave vector and the calculated group time delay of the wave along the path. The latter quantity can be compared with the measured group time delay to check the performance of the algorithm. Simulating a perfect reflector at an altitude equal to the virtual height of reflection, the virtual time delay is assumed as a real time delay. For a monotonic electronic density profile we find a very small relative difference between the calculated and the virtual delay for both analytic and numerical 3D electronic density models.