STUDY OF STELLAR SCINTILLATION

Abstract : The results of analysis of simulated and actual radio star sci tillation records leave little doubt of the validity of the correlation met od of Briggs, Phillips, and Shinn as extended by Phillips and Spencer when applied to ground intensity patterns. At Charlottesville, Virginia, the axial ratio of elliptical intensity contours is large, averaging 20 to 1, and therefore calculated drift velocities have large errors in both magnitude and direction. The greatly longated ellipsoidal irregularities in the ionosphere responsible for scintillations are aligned in t e ir c ion of he local magnetic field of the earth. The drift had a component to the west of the long axis of the ellipsoid in all cases analyzed. On e verage th random velocity component was less than half the drift velocity. (Author)