Accession Number:

AD0813478

Title:

RADAR CROSS SECTIONS OF INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA SPHERES. PART 2 - APPLICATIONS

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

ASTROPHYSICS RESEARCH CORP LOS ANGELES CA

Personal Author(s):

• Erma, Victorr A.

Report Date:

1967-02-15

Pagination or Media Count:

87.0

Abstract:

The present work has been concerned with the numerical evaluation of the exact analytical expressions obtained for the scattering from radially inhomogeneous plasma spheres of different electron density profiles. Several computer programs were developed for this purpose. These programs are capable of handling a wide range of values of the physical parameters, and are of potential value to many research programs concerned with the scattering of electromagnetic waves from plasma spheres. Numerical data were calculated for a number of representative cases characteristic of high-altitude plasma clouds. Configurations of both radially increasing and decreasing electron density profiles were evaluated. The plasma spheres considered generally had radii of 100-200 m, with electron densities of the order 10 to the 18th power cube root of m. Radar cross sections for these spheres were computed for the entire range of frequencies. For purposes of greater physical understanding of the numerical results obtained, analytical approximations to the exact expressions were developed for the Rayleigh region. Finally, the existence of the anomalous backscatter region in the cross section profile of overdense plasmas was confirmed.

Descriptors:

• *PLASMAS(PHYSICS)
• *RADAR CROSS SECTIONS
• *SPHERES
• BACKSCATTERING
• COMPUTER PROGRAMS
• ELECTRON DENSITY
• HIGH ALTITUDE
• RAYLEIGH SCATTERING
• REFRACTIVE INDEX
• SCATTERING

Subject Categories:

• Active and Passive Radar Detection and Equipment
• Plasma Physics and Magnetohydrodynamics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE