Premium
Cross‐Polarization Distortion in Microwave Radio Transmission Due to Rain
Author(s) -
Thomas David T.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs006i010p00833
Subject(s) - attenuation , fading , microwave transmission , polarization (electrochemistry) , microwave , distortion (music) , radio wave , environmental science , rain rate , physics , meteorology , computational physics , optics , telecommunications , computer science , bandwidth (computing) , channel (broadcasting) , chemistry , amplifier , quantum mechanics
Cross‐polarization distortion (XPD) due to nonspherical raindrops may be a serious problem for 18.5‐ and 30‐GHz microwave radio communications, but no measured data have yet been published. This paper presents a simple approach for estimating XPD due to rain from the effects of differential attenuation on canted spheroidal raindrops. Values of average raindrop canting angle, θ A , are predicted from R. A. Semplak's measurements of differential attenuation taken over a one‐year period, published in 1970. Independent observations of canting angle from two rainstorms, published in 1971 by M. J. Saunders, agree with the predicted values and also indicate values for the senses (positive versus negative) of raindrop canting angles. Estimated values of XPD due to rain are graphically presented for various frequencies, rain rates, and typical path lengths. The paper concludes that the operational limits placed on communications by XPD due to rain are comparable to the limits due to rain attenuation or fading.