Utilization of riometers for the detection of nuclear explosions in space

This paper considers the detection of nuclear explosions in space by riometer measurement of the effects of explosion-induced ionization on the absorption of high-frequency cosmic noise. The dependence of the riometer response on the X-ray explosion characteristics, the rate of decay of the ionization, and the integration time constant of the riometer are determined. Maximum detection heights are then tabulated based on a criterion of a 1-dB change in riometer response.