Optical properties of nonextensive inhomogeneous plasma sheath

Abstract

Propagation of electromagnetic wave through an inhomogeneous magnetized nonextensive plasma sheath is numerically examined for a realistic density profile of a reentry problem around a hypersonic vehicle. The effect of nonextensivity and inhomogeneity on radio wave communication is studied parametrically. Variation of reflection and transmission coefficients, total attenuation, and total phase shift over the plasma sheath with respect to the strength of applied magnetic field are derived and compared for different values of q-nonextensive parameter. The obtained results for inhomogeneous plasma sheath are compared with previously obtained results of authors for homogeneous plasma sheath. The comparison shows that radio communication in the inhomogeneous plasma sheath is more advantageous than that in the homogeneous case. The transmission coefficient of a plasma sheath with superthermal electrons (13<q<1) has larger value compared to that with q > 1. Moreover, for ωce>ω, the minimum value of total attenuation corresponds to the range 13<q<1. An interesting result is that nonextensivity effect on wave propagation in plasma sheath depends on the strength of the ambient magnetic field. The effect of nonextensivity on attenuation coefficient is found to be negligible for ωce<ω while it is significant for ωce>ω.