Rec. ITU-R P.
372-9
Figure 2 covers the frequency range 10' to 108 Hz, i.e., 10 kHz to 100 MHz for various categories
of noise. The minimum expected noise is shown by the solid curves. For atmospheric noise, the
minimum values of the hourly medians expected are taken to be those values exceeded 99.5% of the
hours and the maximum values are those exceeded 0.5% of the hours. For the atmospheric noise
curves, all times of day, seasons, and the entire Earth's surface have been taken into account.
FIGURE
versus frequency (10' to 10' Hz)
180 2.9 x 1020
160 2.9 x 1018
140 2.9 x 1016
120 2.9 x 1014
100 2.9 x 1012
80 2.9 x 1010
60
2.9 x 108
40 2.9 x 10°
20 2.9 104
2.9 x 102
S 5
104 105 107 108
Frequency (Hz)
A: atmospheric noise, value exceeded 0.5% of time
B: atmospheric noise, value exceeded 99.5% of time
C: man-made noise, quiet receiving site
D: galactic noise
E median city area man-made noise
minimum noise level expected 0372-02
Figure 3 covers the frequency range 10s to 10 Hzi.e., GHz. Again the minimum
100 MHz to 100
noise is given by solid curves, while some other noises of interest are given by dashed curves.
The majority of the results shown in the three figures are for omni-directional antennas (except as
noted on the figures). For directional antennas, however, studies have indicated that at HF (for
example), for atmospheric noise from lightning for very narrow beam antennas, there can be as
much as 10 dB variation (5 dB above to 5 dB below the average Fd value shown) depending on
antenna pointing direction, frequency and geographical location.
For galactic noise, the average value (over the entire sky) iS given by the solid curve labelled
galactic noise (Figs. 2 and 3). Measurements indicate a +2 dB variation about this curve, neglecting
ionospheric shielding. The minimum galactic noise (narrow beam antenna towards galactic pole) is
3 dB below the solid galactic noise curve shown on Fig. 3. The maximum galactic noise for narrow
beam antennas is shown via a dashed curve in Fig. 3.
Rec. ITU-R P.372-9
Noise from atmos pheric gases and the Earth's surface
Noise from individual sources such as the Sun, atmospheric gases, the Earth's surface, etc., are
usually given in terms of a brightness temperature, th. The antenna temperature, ta, is the
convolution of the antenna pattern and the brightness temperature of the sky and ground. For
antennas whose patterns encompass a single source, the antenna temperature and brightness
temperature are the same (curves C. D and E of Fig. 3, for example).
FIGURE
F, versus frequency (10"' to 10" Hz)
40 2.9 10°
2.9 x 105
20 2.9 x 104
10
2.9 x 103
(0°)
2.9 x 10
20 2.9
2.9 x 10-1
30
2.9 > 10-2
-40
108 109 1010 1011
(1 GHz)
Frequency (Hz)
A: estimated median city area man-made noise
B: galactic noise
C: galactic noise (toward galactic centre with infinitely narrow beamwidth)
D: quiet Sun '½° beamwidth directed at Sun)
E: sky noise due to oxygen and water vapour (very narrow beam antenna);
upper curve, 0° elevation angle; lower curve, 90° elevation angle
F black body (cosmic background), 2.7
minimum noise level expected 0372-03
Figures 4 and 5 show the brightness temperature of the atmosphere for a ground-based receiver
excluding the cosmic noise contribution of 2.7 K or other extra-terrestrial sources for frequencies
between 1 and 340 GHz in the first instance and and 60 GHz in the second. The curves are
calculated using a radiative transfer program for seven different elevation angles and an average
atmosphere (7.5 g surface water vapour density, surface temperature of 288 K, and a scale height of
km for water vapour). The 1976 United States Standard Atmosphere is used for the dry
atmosphere. A typical water vapour contribution is added above the tropopause.
Rec. ITU-R P.37L-9
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Rec, ITU-R P.372-9z
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