ON THE USE OF ATMOSPHERIC-PRESSURE PLASMAS AS ELECTROMAGNETIC REFLECTORS AND ABSORBERS

被引:381
作者
VIDMAR, RJ
机构
[1] SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493
关键词
D O I
10.1109/27.57528
中图分类号
O35 [流体力学]; O53 [等离子体物理学];
学科分类号
070204 ; 080103 ; 080704 ;
摘要
Tenuous plasmas in the earth's atmosphere from sea level to 100 km can be modeled as a cold collisional plasma. If an ionization process results in an electron density profile, such as an Epstein profile, that decreases from a maximum as a function of distance, then the plasma can either reflect or absorb electromagnetic waves, depending on the plasma characteristics. A high reflection coefficient requires a grazing angle of incidence, a low momentum-transfer collision rate, a high plasma density, and a short free-space-to-plasma transition relative to a wavelength. High absorption from VHF through X-band requires a high collision rate, a low plasma density, and a plasma transition of approximately one wavelength. Both extremes are discussed. Typical collision rates and plasma lifetimes at atmospheric pressure are quantified. The power required to sustain a plasma in air is high because of a short plasma lifetime, but a noble gas contained within a membrane has a longer plasma lifetime and a lower power requirement. Two means of ionization are discussed: high-energy electronbeam impact and UV photoionization of an organic vapor. © 1990 IEEE
引用
收藏
页码:733 / 741
页数:9
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