Suitability of Altair FEKO's Computational Electromagnetic Techniques for Tree Model Scattering and Penetration at Ku-band

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1814066· OSTI ID:1814066

Jaramillo, Monica R. ^[1]; Doerry, Armin W. ^[1]; Christodoulou, Christos G. ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Foliage penetration (FOPEN) radar at lower frequencies (VHF, UHF) is a well-studied area with many contributions. However, there is growing interest in using higher Ku-band frequencies (12-18 GHz) for FOPEN. Specifically, the reduced wavelength sizes provide some key saliencies for developing more optimized detection solutions. The disadvantage is that exploiting Ku-band for FOPEN is complicated because higher frequencies have pronounced scattering effects due to their smaller wavelengths. A methodology h as been developed to model and simulate FOPEN problems that characterize the phenomenology of Ku-band electromagnetic ( EM ) wave transmissions through moderate foliage. The details of this research (i.e. the realistic tree models, simulation setup and results) are documented in multiple reports. The main focus of this report is to describe the preliminary validation and verification of Altair FEKO, the computational EM (CEM) software used for this research, as well as present a simplified symmetrical tree model and an introductory CAD tree model.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), Poway, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1814066
• Report Number(s): SAND--2021-8143; 698052
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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