Plasma-based Radar Cross Section Reduction

This book presents a comprehensive review of plasma-based stealth, covering the basics, methods, parametric analysis, and challenges towards the realization of the idea. The concealment of aircraft from radar sources, or stealth, is achieved through shaping, radar absorbing coatings, engineered materials, or plasma, etc. Plasma-based stealth is a radar cross section (RCS) reduction technique associated with the reflection and absorption of incident electromagnetic (EM) waves by the plasma layer surrounding the structure. A plasma cloud covering the aircraft may give rise to other signatures such as thermal, acoustic, infrared, or visual. Thus it is a matter of concern that the RCS reduction by plasma enhances its detectability due to other signatures. This needs a careful approach towards the plasma generation and its EM wave interaction. The book starts with the basics of EM wave interactions with plasma, briefly discuss the methods used to analyze the propagation characteristics of plasma, and its generation. It presents the parametric analysis of propagation behaviour of plasma, and the challenges in the implementation of plasma-based stealth technology. This review serves as a starting point for the graduate and research students, scientists and engineers working in the area of low-observables and stealth technology.

Dr. Hema Singh is currently working as Senior Scientist in Centre for Electromagnetics of CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, India. Earlier, she was Lecturer in EEE, BITS, Pilani, India during 2001-2004. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in Electronics Engineering from IIT-BHU, Varanasi India in 2000. Her active area of research is Computational Electromagnetics for Aerospace Applications. More specifically, the topics she has contributed to, are GTD/UTD, EM analysis of propagation in an indoor environment, Phased Arrays, Conformal Antennas, Radar Cross Section (RCS) Studies including Active RCS Reduction. She received Best Woman Scientist Award in CSIR-NAL, Bangalore for period of 2007-2008 for her contribution in area of phased antenna array, adaptive arrays, and active RCS reduction. Dr. Singh has co-authored one book, one book chapter, and over 120 scientific research papers and technical reports.

Ms. Simy Antony obtained B.Tech. (ECE) from University of Calicut,India and M.Tech. in Electronics (Microwave and Radar Electronics) from Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India. She was a Project Scientist at the Centre for Electromagnetics of CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore where she worked on RCS studies for aerospace vehicles.