Midlatitude ionospheric HF channel reciprocity: Evidence from the ionospheric oblique incidence sounding experiments

Ionospheric HF channel reciprocity is investigated at middle latitudes on the basis of ionospheric oblique incidence sounding experiments. Two identical Wuhan Ionospheric Oblique Incidence Sounding Systems (WIOISS), located at Wuhan (30°32'N, 114°21'E) and Wanning (18°58'N, 110°31'E), are used to carry out the campaign. Comparisons of group distance and Doppler shift between Wuhan-Wanning and Wanning-Wuhan HF ionospheric propagation paths indicate that the reciprocity of the ionospheric HF channel is satisfied at midlatitude region. A 3-D ray tracing simulation is also implemented to evaluate the group distances of the two paths. Midlatitude ionospheric HF channel reciprocity, as verified both experimentally and theoretically in the present study, can be useful for HF communication systems and sky wave over-the-horizon radars.