Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility

Spacecraft entering a planetary atmosphere are surrounded by a plasma layer containing high levels of ionization, due to the extreme temperatures in the shock layer. The high electron number densities cause attenuation of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the on-board antennas, leading to communi...

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Autores: Luís, Diana, Giangaspero, Vincent, Viladegut, Alan, Lani, Andrea, Camps, Adriano, Chazot, Olivier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/347945
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/347945
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Communication blackout
Radio signal propagation
Plasma flow
Inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel
Electron number density
Ray tracing
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spelling Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facilityLuís, DianaGiangaspero, VincentViladegut, AlanLani, AndreaCamps, AdrianoChazot, OlivierCommunication blackoutRadio signal propagationPlasma flowInductively coupled plasma wind tunnelElectron number densityRay tracingSpacecraft entering a planetary atmosphere are surrounded by a plasma layer containing high levels of ionization, due to the extreme temperatures in the shock layer. The high electron number densities cause attenuation of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the on-board antennas, leading to communication blackout for several minutes. This work presents experimental measurements of signal propagation through an ionized plasma flow. The measurements are conducted at the VKI plasma wind tunnel (Plasmatron) using conical horn antennas transmitting in the Ka-band, between 33 and 40 GHz. Testing conditions at 15, 50 and 100 mbar, and powers between 100 and 600 kW cover a broad range of the testing envelope of the Plasmatron as well as a broad range of atmospheric entry conditions. The transmitting antenna is characterized at the UPC anechoic chamber, obtaining the radiation patterns, beamwidth, and gain at the boresight direction; and an optical ray tracing technique is used to describe the electromagnetic waves propagation in the plasma flowfield inside of the Plasmatron chamber. The signal propagation measurements show clear attenuation when the signal is propagating through the plasma, varying between 2 and 15 dB depending on the testing conditions. This attenuation increases with electron number densities, which are driven by the Plasmatron power and pressure settings. Preliminary evidence of Faraday rotation effects caused by the plasma is also observed.Diana Luís research is funded by a doctoral fellowship (2021.04930.BD) granted by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT Portugal). The research of Vincent Fitzgerald Giangaspero is supported by SB PhD fellowship 1SA8219N of the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO). The resources and services used for the BORAT simulations were provided by the VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish Government. The MEESST project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 899298.Peer reviewedElsevierFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal)Research Foundation - FlandersEuropean Commission202420242023info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/347945reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/899298https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.07.028Noinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/3479452026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
title Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
spellingShingle Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
Luís, Diana
Communication blackout
Radio signal propagation
Plasma flow
Inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel
Electron number density
Ray tracing
title_short Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
title_full Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
title_fullStr Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
title_full_unstemmed Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
title_sort Effect of electron number densities on the radio signal propagation in an inductively coupled plasma facility
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Luís, Diana
Giangaspero, Vincent
Viladegut, Alan
Lani, Andrea
Camps, Adriano
Chazot, Olivier
author Luís, Diana
author_facet Luís, Diana
Giangaspero, Vincent
Viladegut, Alan
Lani, Andrea
Camps, Adriano
Chazot, Olivier
author_role author
author2 Giangaspero, Vincent
Viladegut, Alan
Lani, Andrea
Camps, Adriano
Chazot, Olivier
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal)
Research Foundation - Flanders
European Commission
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Communication blackout
Radio signal propagation
Plasma flow
Inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel
Electron number density
Ray tracing
topic Communication blackout
Radio signal propagation
Plasma flow
Inductively coupled plasma wind tunnel
Electron number density
Ray tracing
description Spacecraft entering a planetary atmosphere are surrounded by a plasma layer containing high levels of ionization, due to the extreme temperatures in the shock layer. The high electron number densities cause attenuation of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the on-board antennas, leading to communication blackout for several minutes. This work presents experimental measurements of signal propagation through an ionized plasma flow. The measurements are conducted at the VKI plasma wind tunnel (Plasmatron) using conical horn antennas transmitting in the Ka-band, between 33 and 40 GHz. Testing conditions at 15, 50 and 100 mbar, and powers between 100 and 600 kW cover a broad range of the testing envelope of the Plasmatron as well as a broad range of atmospheric entry conditions. The transmitting antenna is characterized at the UPC anechoic chamber, obtaining the radiation patterns, beamwidth, and gain at the boresight direction; and an optical ray tracing technique is used to describe the electromagnetic waves propagation in the plasma flowfield inside of the Plasmatron chamber. The signal propagation measurements show clear attenuation when the signal is propagating through the plasma, varying between 2 and 15 dB depending on the testing conditions. This attenuation increases with electron number densities, which are driven by the Plasmatron power and pressure settings. Preliminary evidence of Faraday rotation effects caused by the plasma is also observed.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023
2024
2024
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/347945
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/347945
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/899298
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.07.028
No
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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