Dynamic channel modeling for communication through turbulent plasma sheath

Abstract

The plasma sheath surrounding vehicles traveling at hypersonic velocity absorbs and distorts electromagnetic (EM) waves, resulting in communication blackout. Unlike traditional multi-path channels, the plasma sheath channel is determined by plasma turbulence and its interactions with EM waves. A new channel model for turbulent plasma sheath is proposed, which is highly parameterized for the convenience of the communication verification. The model is based on 1/fα colored noise and the parameters are derived by propagating the EM wave through uniform plasma field. Statistical characteristics of the channel are investigated by simulations. Results show that signals would be severely modulated by the channel which is distinguished by non-stationary time varying and deep fading. What is more, plasma channels can be generated efficiently with the proposed model.