Radar backscattering by a random plasma slab

Author: Brown, W. D.
Published: United States : [publisher not identified], 1974.
[Oak Ridge, Tennessee] : [U.S. Atomic Energy Commission], 1974.
Physical Description: microfiche : negative ; 11 x 15 cm

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Summary

The scattering of a radar wave which is normally incident on a turbulent plasma slab whose properties vary only in the direction of incidence is examined. A formulation which separates the contributions of the fluctuating properties of the plasma to the scattering from the contributions of the ensemble averaged properties is developed. The formulation is then specialized so that the contributions of the ensemble averaged properties are taken into account in an eikonal approximation and the contributions of the fluctuating properties are described by a multiple scattering expansion in which an eikonal Green's function describes the propagation of the electromagnetic wave between scatterings. This specialized formulation is called the Borneikonal formulation. Expressions are derived for the eikonal electric field functions, the eikonal Green's functions, and the ensemble averaged scattering cross section in the Born-eikonal formulation. A random plasma slab model is introduced for the purpose of comparing numerically the Born approximation, the Born-eikonal formulation, and the exact results. The calculations were perforraed for a range of radar frequencies and for a variety of values of the parameters characterizing the plasma slab. The predictions of the Born-eikonal approximation to lowest order in the multiple scattering expansion were almost always closer to the exact results than were the predictions of the Born approximation. The predictions of the Born-eikonal series to the fourth order in the electron density fluctuations were usually closer to the exact results than were the lowest order Born-eikonal predictions. (auth)

Report Numbers

SLA-73-1072

Other Subject(s)

Collection

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission depository collection.

Note

DOE contract number: AT(29-1)-789
NSA number: NSA-29-028455
OSTI Identifier 4331987
Research organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, N.Mex. (USA).

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