An equivalent model for the analysis of electromagnetic scattering from a long, lossy tether structure

• Published in: IEEE transactions on antennas and propagation Vol. 40; no. 12; pp. 1555 - 1561
• Main Authors: Pekel, U., Wang, N., Peters, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.12.1992; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Dielectric losses; Diffraction, scattering, reflection; Electromagnetic analysis; Electromagnetic modeling; Electromagnetic scattering; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency; Radiocommunications; Radiowave propagation; Satellites; Solid modeling; Space shuttles; Surface waves; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Wire; Induced current; Wire; Electromagnetic wave; Geometrical properties; Wave scattering; Electrical characteristic
• ISSN: 0018-926X; 1558-2221
• DOI: 10.1109/8.204746

An equivalent lossy wire model is introduced for the analysis of electromagnetic scattering from a long lossy tether structure, which is used to suspend a satellite from a shuttle in free space. The equivalent model incorporates the electrical characteristics of the uniform TM/sub 01/ mode of a coated wire configuration and the geometrical properties of a lossy wire configuration. By considering residue contributions and the resulting surface wave quantities alone, and by adopting two additional simplifications in the calculation of induced currents and scattered field, the equivalent lossy wire model is used to determine the effect of a long, lossy tether on communications between its two ends. It is shown that for tether lengths of up to 30 km with the primary source being located close to one end of a lossy, straight tether, the presence of the tether does not have a significant effect on the near-zone fields in the neighborhood of its 'receiving end'.< >