Journal of Radio Electronics. eISSN 1684-1719. 2026. ¹1
Full text in Russian (pdf)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30898/1684-1719.2026.1.4
evaluation of radio waves energy losses
in plasma shock layer
near critical point of lander
M.E. Zamarin, A.R. Murlaga
A.I. Berg Central research institute of radio engineering
107078, Russia, Moscow, Novaya Basmannaya str., 20, b.9
The paper was received September 4, 2025.
Abstract. In upper atmosphere below 80 km at hypersonic speed of lander radiocommunication with it disrupts due to arising of plasma sheath around it. The purpose of this paper consists in evaluation of radio wave energy losses while radio wave propagates through shock layer plasma. To fulfill this, the following basic statements and assumptions were made: radio wave propagates in two-layer medium “shock layer plasma – free space” with sharp boundary, radio wave energy losses consist of attenuation in plasma and reflection of layers boundary; radio wave energy losses are evaluated in direction of lander symmetry axis; shock layer plasma is uniform and isotropic; classical theory can be applied to describe motion of charged particles; external magnetic field in shock layer plasma is absent; electron gas is nondegenerate; shock layer plasma is in the state of thermodynamical equilibrium; lander has spherical nose blunting. Radio wave reflection of “shock layer plasma – free space” boundary is calculated. As a result, it is shown that in most considered cases for heights more than 60 km radio wave reflection of “shock layer plasma – free space” boundary would be moderate, thus, providing stable radiocommunication with lander. Nose blunting radius of lander dome must be chosen less than 10 cm. This provides for heights more than 60 km shock layer thickness of the order of the distance along which wave amplitude changes e times. Thus, signal attenuation would be moderate to provide stable radiocommunication with lander. Hence, for heights (80 – 60) km, nose blunting radius of lander dome less than 10 cm and radiation of radio waves in the direction of lander symmetry axis in most considered cases must be provided stable one-way or two-way radiocommunication with lander.
Key words: plasma, shock layer, lander, plasma losses, radiocommunication
Corresponding author: Murlaga Aleksei Rostislavovich, myrlaga_olga@mail.ru
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For citation:
Zamarin M.E., Murlaga A.R. Evaluation of radio waves energy losses in plasma shock layer near critical point of lander. // Journal of Radio Electronics. – 2026. – ¹ 1. https://doi.org/10.30898/1684-1719.2026.1.4 (In Russian)