Optimization of HPM device parameters for maximum air transmission
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc., Los Alamos, NM (United States)
The propagation of high-power microwave (HPM) pulses through the atmosphere is a subject that has received renewed attention in the last decade. For sufficiently high-power pulses it is possible for air breakdown to be initiated by the front end of the pulse and for ohmic dissipation of the tail end to proceed as the tail propagates through the newly created plasma. Generally, this nonlinear process termed tail erosion is modeled with time-dependent fluid or kinetic codes that require a fine mesh of range and time points. The computational time to run these codes, however, precludes their use in determining theoptimum pulse characteristics and propagation paths for transmission of a desired fluence. In this paper a new frequency scaling law that greatly reduces computational requirements and at the same time incorporates the nonlinear effects inherent to HPM propagation is discussed. Results of a comparison between predictions of air breakdown thresholds made using the frequency scaling law and experimental data taken at various frequencies are presented. The scaling law is implemented in an existing HPM propagation code and has been used recently to develop a new predictive capability that calculates the optimum energy, power, and antenna requirements necessary to transmit a desired fluence. These capabilities provide both the accuracy and rapid computational turnaround necessary for system studies that assess the effects of HPM propagation for particular HPM devices and that attempt to open device parameters for maximum air transmission. Samples of both forward propagation, predictive calculations and inverse, optimization calculations are presented.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; DOD; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6711682
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-93-361; CONF-930159--17; ON: DE93007332
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AIR
AMPLIFIERS
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
BREAKDOWN
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
OPTIMIZATION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
SCALING LAWS
WAVE PROPAGATION