Modeling of electromagnetic manipulation of plasmas for communication during reentry flight

Kim, Minkwan, Boyd, Iain D. and Keidar, Michael (2010) Modeling of electromagnetic manipulation of plasmas for communication during reentry flight. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 47 (1), 29-35. (doi:10.2514/1.45525).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Radio blackout that occurs during hypersonic reentry flight is an important issue for the operation of the vehicle. Since the radio blackout problem is caused by a high plasma number density around a vehicle, it is necessary to manipulate the plasma to allow communication. We suggest a configuration of an E × B layer as a reentry blackout mitigation method. The suggested E × B layer configuration with a two-dimensional magnetic field is simulated using the thermalized potential model and the Poisson-like model in order to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach as a mitigation method. The numerical model uses a magnetohydrodynamics approximation and is solved using a finite volume method with a Riemann solver. The results of the numerical model are assessed using available experimental results. A strong plasma density reduction is obtained when the high electric and magnetic fields are applied near the cathode. The manipulated plasma region provides a possibility to communicate through a plasma layer during a reentry blackout.

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