Atmospheric millimeter wave propagation model

The neutral atmosphere is characterized for the frequency range from 1 to 300 GHz as nonturbulent propagation medium. Attenuation and propagation delay effects are predicated from meteorological data sets: pressure, temperature, humidity, suspended particle concentration, and rain rate. The physical data base of the propagation model consists of four terms: (1) resonance information for 30 water vapor and 48 oxygen absorption lines in the form of intensity coefficients and center frequency for each line; (2) a composite (oxygen, water vapor, and nitrogen) continum spectrum; (3) a hydrosol attenuation term for haze, fog, and cloud conditions; and (4) a rain attenuation model. Oxygen lines extend into the mesosphere, where they behave in a complicated manner due to the Zeeman effect.