What was Appleton's central theory about radio waves?
My central work revolved around elucidating how radio waves interact with the upper atmosphere, specifically the ionosphere. The prevailing idea prior to my investigations was that radio waves travelled in straight lines. However, empirical data suggested otherwise, particularly with regard to long-distance transmissions. My experiments, using modulated continuous waves and interferometry, demonstrated that radio waves of certain frequencies are indeed reflected by electrically charged layers in the upper atmosphere. This reflection phenomenon, dependent on the electron density and the wave's frequency, allows radio signals to 'bounce' between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface, facilitating communication over vast distances. This critical frequency concept is fundamental to understanding the propagation characteristics.
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