EFFECTS OF REENTRY PLASMA FLUCTUATION ON POLARIZATION PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

Fluctuations of the reentry plasma sheath can affect the propagation of Electromagnetic waves. The relations between fluctuations and the propagation of electromagnetic waves are analyzed. The effects on polarization properties in L-band, S-band and Ka-band during a typical reentry process are studied using methods derived by synthesizing the compressible turbulent flow theory, plasma theory, and electromagnetic wave theory together. Results show that in L-band and S-band, the effects increase with the altitude, while in Ka-band, the effects decrease with altitude. The effects at high altitude above 60 km are prominent in L-band and S-band, while the effects at middle and low altitude below 60 km in Ka-band are obvious. The effects in L-band and S-band are much bigger than that in Ka-band and can affect the signal properties of TT&C systems significantly, while the effects in Ka-band are much milder. The waves with large oblique incident angle can encounter much more severe conditions than that with small angle.