forward scatter


forward scatter

[¦fȯr·wərd ′skad·ər] (communications) Propagation of electromagnetic waves at frequencies above the maximum usable high frequency through use of the scattering of a small portion of the transmitted energy when the signal passes from an unionized medium into a layer of the ionosphere. Collectively, the very-high-frequency forward propagation by ionospheric scatter and ultra-high-frequency forward propagation by tropospheric scatter communications techniques. (geophysics) The scattering of radiant energy into the hemisphere of space bounded by a plane normal to the direction of the incident radiation and lying on the side toward which the incident radiation was advancing.

forward scatter

forward scatterTroposphere scatter propagation.The scattering of radiated energy into the hemisphere of space bounded by a plane normal to the direction of the incident radiation and lying on the side toward which the incident radiation was advancing. The opposite of backward scatter. In Rayleigh scattering, forward scatter accounts for half of the total. As the particle size increases above the Rayleigh limit, an increasing fraction of the total scattering is forward scattering. Rayleigh scattering is normal scattering of radiation by particles whose ruling size is 0.1 or less than that of the radiant wavelength. The scattering process may be polarization sensitive (i.e., incident waves that are identical in every respect but their polarization may be scattered differently).