Probing the Sky with Radio Waves: From Wireless Technology to the Development of Atmospheric Science
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.92 (741 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 022627439X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-03-13 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
By the late nineteenth century, engineers and experimental scientists generally knew how radio waves behaved, and by 1901 scientists were able to manipulate them to transmit messages across long distances. What no one could understand, however, was why radio waves followed the curvature of the Earth. Theorists puzzled over this for nearly twenty years before physicists confirmed the zig-zag theory, a solution that led to the discovery of a layer in the Earth’s upper atmosphere that bounces radio waves earthward—the ionosphere. In Probing the Sky with Radio Waves, Chen-Pang Yeang documents this monumental discovery and the advances in radio ionospheric propagation research that occurred in its aftermath. It also gave researchers a host of new theories, experiments, and instruments with which to better understand the atmosphere’s constitution, the origin of atmospheric electricity, and how the sun and geomagnetism shape the Earth’s atmosphere. Yeang illustrates how the discovery of the ionosphere transformed atmospheric science from what had been primarily an observational
Chen-Pang Yeang deftly draws out the diverse international array of local cultures that made the discovery possible: mathematical, theoretical, and experimental physicists; civilian, military, and corporate engineers; inventors and radio amateurs. The story is a fascinating one, and Yeang—coupling the history and philosophy of science—is an able narrator.”. “Probing the Sky with Radio Waves offers us a fine example of the ‘mutual shaping’ of science and technology. Yet this book offers much more. Those interested in a thoughtful, technically adept history of the discovery of the ionosphere will not be disappointed
"Interesting and thorough history" according to N Lang. Very interesting history of the development of understanding of radio-wave propagation. Some mathematical sophistication on the part of the reader would be useful, but those without it could probably just skip such sections.