Propagation Characteristics of Modulated EHF Signal in the Wake Region of Plasma Sheath

Abstract

A large number of studies have confirmed that the wake region may be a more ideal antenna installation area for the reentry vehicle communication problem, but many practical issues such as how to choose the modulation mode, carrier frequency, and antenna orientation are still pending. Based on numerical simulations, the characteristics of tail channels and the bit error rate (BER) of extremely high-frequency (EHF) communication in the wake region of the plasma sheath of hypersonic vehicle are studied. It is found that, with an increase in the angle between the tail channel and the tail of the vehicle, the attenuation of the EHF signals decreases and the phase shift fluctuates more severely. In order to obtain better communication performance, 2PSK with a carrier frequency of 140 GHz or 225 GHz, or 4QAM (QPSK) modulation with a carrier frequency of 140 GHz, and the tail channel with an angle between 50° and 60° to the tail of the vehicle can be selected. This study reveals the propagation characteristics and BER performance of EHF signals in the wake region of plasma sheath, which can provide a valuable reference for the design of the hypersonic vehicle communication system.