The effect of the electric field in sand and dust storms on the attenuation of electromagnetic wave

Abstract

The sand particles obtain net charges due to the friction and collision in sand and dust storms (SDS), which can produce a strong environmental electric field. The impact of the electric field in SDS on the wave propagation is unclear. A theoretical model for studying the wave attenuation is presented using the equivalent medium theory. In this model, the discrete SDS is assumed as a continuous medium, and the equivalent permittivity of the SDS medium is given based on the energy method when the polarization of the electric field on the negatively charged sand particles is considered. The calculation results show that the vertical electric field (Eh-field) in SDS can significantly enhance the wave attenuation. The attenuation intensifies only with the rise of the value of the Eh-field, regardless of the Eh-field's direction. The effect of the Eh-field on the wave attenuation is more obvious with increasing frequency, and the attenuation enhances by 77 % at 40 GHz. In addition, it is found that existing the Eh-field, the wave attenuation gradually increases as decreasing the charge-to-mass ratio.