THE PRESSURE CHARACTERISTIC OF MICROWAVE BREAKDOWN,
Abstract
Missiles under current development carry a wide variety of antennae operating over a fairly wide range of frequencies and power. The efficiency of these antennae may be disturbed by the rocket exhaust or by microwave breakdown. In the case of such distrubance, an examination of the altitude dependence of the signal dropout will determine whether or not microwave breakdown is the cause. If the signal loss is due to microwave breakdown then the disturbance will have a maximum at a missile altitude which is characteristic of the wave frequency employed. For example, X band (10,000 mc.) signal loss will be maximized at 115,000 ft (5 mm.) and S band (3,000 mc.) at 131,000 ft (2.5 mm.). As far as this author is aware there is no data available on the pressures or altitudes which will maximize microwave breakdown for frequencies other than X and S bands. On account of the obvious utility of such information we endeavor in this note to outline a theory which will predict such pressures for any frequency. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1958
- Accession Number
- AD0608905
Entities
People
- P. Molmud
Organizations
- TRW Inc.