Variations in the Characteristics of a HF Signal over an Oblique Sounding Path during the Solar Eclipse on August 11, 1999

We present the results of measurements of the HF-signal characteristics over the path Praha - Nizhny Novgorod during the solar eclipse on August 11, 1999. A 10-dB increase in the HF-signal amplitude and an increase in the frequency of quasiperiodic fading were observed during daytime in the course of the eclipse with phase about 68-85%. An interpretation of the effects observed is given. On the basis of simulations, we show that the increase in the amplitude is related to a decrease in absorption losses which is caused by the corresponding decrease in the electron density in D- and E-layers by about 30-45%. The increase in the fading frequency results from beating of the modes that have different Doppler shifts due to phase-path variations during the eclipse. An estimate for the rate of electron-density variation during the eclipse was obtained: dN/dt (2-2.5) ·10² cm^-3s^-1.