Document Type

Article

Rights

This item is available under a Creative Commons License for non-commercial use only

Disciplines

Applied mathematics, Fluids and plasma physics

Publication Details

ISAST Transactions on Electronics and Signal Processing, vol: ISSN 1797-2329, issue: No. 1, Vol. 1, pages: 72 - 80

Abstract

Following a brief introduction on the principles of screening an aerospace vehicle using a plasma, we develop models for the Impulse Response Functions (IRFs) associated with microwave (Radar) back-scattering from a strong and weakly ionized plasma screen. In the latter case, it is shown that the strength of the return signal is determined by an IRF that is characterised by the simple negative exponential exp(−σ0t/Є0) where σ0 is the average conductivity of the plasma, Є0 is the permittivity of free space and t is the two-way travel time. For a weakly ionized plasma, the conductivity is determined by the number density of electrons. We develop a model for an electron beam induced plasma that includes the effect of cascade ionization and losses due to diffusion and recombination. Qualitative results are then derived for the number density of a plasma screen over a sub-sonic aerospace vehicle and a numerical simulation considered that is based on an iterative approach using a Green’s function solution for a stationary and a moving vehicle. An example is provided for an idealised case relating to a subsonic missile such as a ‘cruise missile’.


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