PLASMA DENSITY REDUCTION USING ELECTROMAGNETIC E×B FIELD DURING REENTRY FLIGHT
Affiliation
University of MichiganElectroDynamic Applications Inc.
Issue Date
2007-10
Metadata
Show full item recordRights
Copyright © held by the author; distribution rights International Foundation for TelemeteringCollection Information
Proceedings from the International Telemetering Conference are made available by the International Foundation for Telemetering and the University of Arizona Libraries. Visit http://www.telemetry.org/index.php/contact-us if you have questions about items in this collection.Abstract
As a vehicle reenters or flies at hypersonic speed through the atmosphere, the surrounding air is shock heated and becomes weakly ionized. The plasma layer thus formed causes a communication problem known as ‘radio blackout’. At sufficiently dense plasma conditions, the plasma layer either reflects or attenuates radio wave communications to and from the vehicle. In this paper, we propose an electromagnetic field configuration as a method to allow communication through the plasma layer. Theoretical models show that this may address the blackout problem under a range of conditions. Preliminary experimental results are also presented.Sponsors
International Foundation for TelemeteringISSN
0884-51230074-9079