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A relativistic fluid code for high-power microwave propagation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6489171

The propagation of a high-power microwave pulse through the atmosphere is treated with a relativistic fluid code. In this treatment, the first three moments of the Boltzmann equation are used to obtain fluid equations for electron density, mean momentum, and thermal energy. Particle, momentum, and energy exchange rates for elastic, inelastic and ionization collisions are included in the calculation. The effects of electron spatial diffusion and the ponderomotive force are contained in the relativistic form of the Boltzmann equation. For an incident plane parallel microwave pulse, the fluid equations and Maxwell's equations are solved to obtain the temporal behavior of the fields as the microwave propagates through the atmosphere. Theory and applications of the relativistic fluid code are presented.

Research Organization:
EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc., Los Alamos, NM (USA). Los Alamos Operations
DOE Contract Number:
AC08-88NV10617
OSTI ID:
6489171
Report Number(s):
CONF-880651-1; ON: DE89006598
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English