Modeling and numerical simulation of microwave pulse propagation in air breakdown environment
- Polytechnic Univ., Farmingdale, NY (United States)
A theoretical model describing the propagation of an intense microwave pulse in an air breakdown environment is developed. The self-consistent description of the propagation process is provided by a set of two modal equations including a continuity equation (Poynting`s equation) for the energy density of the pulse and a rate equation of the electron density. A semiempirical formula for the ionization frequency {nu}{sub i} which provides the coupling between the two modal equations is used to express the electron rate equation explicitly. The dependencies of the propagation characteristics of the pulse in the atmosphere on the intensity, frequency, width, and the shape of the pulse are determined. The density distribution of the pulse self-generated plasma is also evaluated. The results show that using only a single unfocused microwave pulse transmitted upwards from the ground for the ionization, the maximum electron density produced at, for example, 50 km altitude is limited by the tail erosion effect to below 10{sup 7} cm{sup {minus}3}. A repetitive pulse approach and a focus beam approach are also examined. Both approaches can only increase the maximum electron density by no more than an order of magnitude. A scheme using two obliquely propagating pulses intersecting at the destined height, e.g. 50 km, is considered. It is shown that the generated electron density at the destined height can easily exceed a value of 10{sup 8} cm{sup {minus}3}, which is considered to be high enough for artificial ionospheric mirror (AIM) application.
- OSTI ID:
- 51806
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940604--; ISBN 0-7803-2006-9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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