Characterizing the effect of hypersonic boundary layer turbulence on antenna performance: A computational approach

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2462958· OSTI ID:2462958

Roberds, Nicholas Alan ^[1]; Young, Matthew William ^[1]; Miller, Nathan E. ^[1]; Logemann, Caleb ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The degradation of antenna performance during hypersonic re-entry is a well known phenomenon that can lead to complete radio blackout. Recent additions to the Empire code establish it as a tool for the study and analysis of the problem. Coupling to the Sandia Parallel Aerodynamics and Reentry Code (SPARC) enables the electromagnetic analysis of realistic re-entry plasma profiles. The geometric flexibility afforded by both Empire and SPARC allow the consideration of arbitrary vehicle and antenna configurations. We have used this tool to study antenna performance during re-entry when the boundary layer becomes turbulent. A concise description of line-of-sight transmissions, which employs advanced statistical methods, was developed. New insights into the low altitude reflectometer readings of RAM-C2 are offered. Techniques for the reconstruction of the re-entry plasma profile from reflectometer data were explored.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 2462958
• Report Number(s): SAND--2024-12991R
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING