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The paper presents a physico-mathematical model of the perturbed region formed in the lower D-layer of the ionosphere under the action of directed radio emission flux from a terrestrial stand of the megahertz frequency range, obtained as a result of comprehensive theoretical studies. The model is based on the consideration of a wide range of kinetic processes taking into account their nonequilibrium and in the two-temperature approximation for describing the transformation of the radio beam energy absorbed by electrons. The initial data on radio emission achieved by the most powerful radio-heating stands are taken in the paper. Their basic characteristics and principles of functioning, and features of the altitude distribution of the absorbed electromagnetic energy of the radio beam are briefly described. The paper presents the decisive role of the D-layer of the ionosphere in the absorption of the energy of the radio beam. On the basis of theoretical analysis, analytical expressions are obtained for the contribution of various inelastic processes to the distribution of the absorbed energy, which makes it possible to correctly describe the contribution of each of the processes considered. The work considers more than 60 components. The change of the component concentration describe about 160 reactions. All the reactions are divided into five groups according to their physical content: ionization-chemical block, excitation block of metastable electronic states, cluster block, excitation block of vibrational states and block of impurities. Blocks are interrelated and can be calculated both jointly and separately. The paper presents the behavior of the parameters of the perturbed region in daytime and nighttime conditions is significantly different at the same radio flux density: under day conditions, the maximum electron concentration and temperature are at an altitude of ~45–55 km; in night ~80 km, with the temperature of heavy particles rapidly increasing, which leads to the occurrence of a gas-dynamic flow. Therefore, a special numerical algorithm are developed to solve two basic problems: kinetic and gas dynamic. Based on the altitude and temporal behavior of concentrations and temperatures, the algorithm makes it possible to determine the ionization and emission of the ionosphere in the visible and infrared spectral range, which makes it possible to evaluate the influence of the perturbed region on radio engineering and optoelectronic devices used in space technology.

The second part presents numerical studies of the parameters of the lower ionosphere at altitudes of 40–90 km when heated by powerful high-frequency radio waves of various frequencies and powers. The problem statement is considered in the first part of the article. The main attention is paid to the interrelation between the energy and kinetic parameters of the disturbed $D$-region of the ionosphere in the processes that determine the absorption and transformation of the radio beam energy flux in space and time. The possibility of a significant difference in the behavior of the parameters of the disturbed region in the daytime and at nighttime, both in magnitude and in space-time distribution, is shown. In the absence of sufficiently reliable values of the rate constants for a number of important kinetic processes, numerical studies were carried out in stages with the gradual addition of individual processes and kinetic blocks corresponding at the same time to a certain physical content. It is shown that the energy thresholds for inelastic collisions of electrons with air molecules are the main ones. This approach made it possible to detect the effect of the emergence of a self-oscillating mode of changing parameters if the main channel for energy losses in inelastic processes is the most energy-intensive process — ionization. This effect may play a role in plasma studies using high-frequency inductive and capacitive discharges. The results of calculations of the ionization and optical parameters of the disturbed $D$-region for daytime conditions are presented. The electron temperature, density, emission coefficients in the visible and infrared ranges of the spectrum are obtained for various values of the power of the radio beam and its frequency in the lower ionosphere. The height-time distribution of the absorbed radiation power is calculated, which is necessary in studies of higher layers of the ionosphere. The influence on the electron temperature and on the general behavior of the parameters of energy losses by electrons on the excitation of vibrational and metastable states of molecules has been studied in detail. It is shown that under nighttime conditions, when the electron concentration begins at altitudes of about 80 km, and the concentration of heavy particles decreases by two orders of magnitude compared to the average $D$-region, large-scale gas-dynamic motion can develop with sufficient radio emission power The algorithm was developed based on the McCormack method and two-dimensional gas-dynamic calculations of the behavior of the parameters of the perturbed region were performed with some simplifications of the kinetics.