ULF/ELF ELECTROMAGNETIC DETECTION OF SUBMERGED SUBMARINES VIA DRONE AIRCRAFT AND/OR OCEAN-SURFACE BUOYS
Abstract
ABSTRACT – The proposed project would extend the most powerful existing full-vector Maxwell’s equations solver for the Earth-ionosphere waveguide to rigorously test the hypothesis that a suitably configured ultralow-frequency (ULF: < 3 Hz) or extremely low frequency (ELF: 3 Hz – 3 kHz) electromagnetic wave system could be used to detect the presence of submerged submarines. This system would involve receivers mounted on drone aircraft and/or oceansurface buoys. The P.I. proposes to first study how a well-characterized ULF / ELF electromagnetic environment could be practically generated within the Earth-ionosphere waveguide, including down to a 2 or 3 km depth in oceans of interest. A wide variety of excitation frequencies will be tested, including resonant excitations for the submerged submarine targets (using frequencies around ~100 Hz). The study will then shift to determine how strongly the presence of a stationary or moving submerged submarine at various depths and locations would generate signatures (perturbations of the amplitude, phase, and/or frequency of the ambient ULF / ELF environment) that could be potentially detected by phase-locked receivers located on drone aircraft and/or fixed buoys at the ocean surface.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512283
Entities
People
- Jamesina Simpson
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Utah