Optimization of HPM device parameters for maximum air transmission

摘要

The propagation of high-power microwave (HPM) pulses through the atmosphere is a subject that has received renewed attention in the last decade. For sufficiently high-power pulses it is possible for air breakdown to be initiated by the front end of the pulse and for ohmic dissipation of the tail end to proceed as the tail propagates through the newly created plasma. Generally, this nonlinear process termed tail erosion is modeled with time-dependent fluid or kinetic codes that require a fine mesh of range and time points. The computational time to run these codes, however, precludes their use in determining the optimum pulse characteristics and propagation paths for transmission of a desired fluence. In this paper a new frequency scaling law that greatly reduces computational requirements and at the same time incorporates the nonlinear effects inherent to HPM propagation is discussed. Results of a comparison between predictions of air breakdown thresholds made using the frequency scaling law and experimental data taken at various frequencies are presented. The scaling law is implemented in an existing HPM propagation code and has been used recently to develop a new predictive capability that calculates the optimum energy, power, and antenna requirements necessary to transmit a desired fluence. These capabilities provide both the accuracy and rapid computational turnaround necessary for system studies that assess the effects of HPM propagation for particular HPM devices and that attempt to open device parameters for maximum air transmission. Samples of both forward propagation, predictive calculations and inverse, optimization calculations are presented.