Low Frequency Plasma Turbulence as a Source of Clutter in Surveillance and Communication
Abstract
Presence of plasma can strongly influence propagation properties of electromagnetic signals used for surveillance and communication. In particular, we are interested in mechanisms of generation of low frequency plasma turbulence in the form of coherent vortex structures coexisting with short scale density irregularities in a magnetized plasma. These types of density irregularities play important role in refraction and scattering of high frequency electromagnetic signals propagating in the earth ionosphere, inside a plasma sheath of reentry and hypersonic vehicles and in many other applications. We will discuss generation of low frequency density irregularities due to the presence of plasma flows with velocity shear and interchange instability. Next, obtained spectra of density fluctuations will be used to calculate scattering cross-section for different types of excited wave turbulence for different propagation conditions of incident high frequency EM waves. Finally, estimation of the scattering cross-section for different frequencies of EM waves will be presented.
- Publication:
-
Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference
- Pub Date:
- September 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012amos.confE..94S