Advanced Concepts for Evaluating Susceptibility and Survivability of Large Infrastructure Networks against IEMI

Abstract

In this paper we examine a control strategy that improves the probability of recovery of strongly coupled infrastructures subsequent to a postulated large-scale disruption and damage event. We study the electric power grid and public data network as notional examples. We show that very general properties lead to the possibilities of both recovery and collapse. We model the infrastructures as sets of dynamical variables and consider equilibrium and initial setbacks from equilibrium. The concept of automated control and non-linear behavior resulting from strong Infrastructure degradation from an event, such as a coronal mass ejection from the sun or a high altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) attack is then introduced. The general mathematical properties of the automated control functions that improve the probability of recovery are identified using a phase plane analysis.