Plasma Stealth: Past & Present, page 9
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reply posted on 7-8-2011 @ 09:28 PM by mbkennel
The physics of plasma waves with electromagnetic waves is exceptionally complex and there is a deep literature.

Yes it is possible to create anti-radar effects (in the lab) by creating either absorbers (e.g. at the cyclotron frequency) or nullers (emitters which destructively cancel).

I think it would be much more difficult however to accomplish such things against advanced adversarial radars which change frequencies as compared to classic plane waves. There are too many instabilities and difficulties to be really reliable. You may be able to reduce the cross section against a stationary civilian radar at a classic CW frequency but it's not so easy otherwise. The complexity of the physics & dynamics is very high and if you make a mistake you can easily boost the cross section.

For reducing RCS, I think the radar absorbing materials and essentially 'refractive' microwave metamaterials are likely to be more reliable across frequencies atmospheric conditions and adversarial radars.

Possibly one might consider a 'plasma stealth' to be an adjunct to the ECM (as no doubt it would have to monitor incoming frequencies and with a physical model attempt to adjust as necessary), but my unexpert basic-physics opinion would put the biggest bets on materials.

Actually I think the most profitable application for plasma stealth if any would be for non-geostationary surveillance satellites: easier to maintain a low density plasma, more stable environment, much less maneuvering, and probably have to face more classic big CW radars from the ground. You'd go stealth mode before executing an orbital burn. If enemy ground track radar finds it hard to lock on you might be able to get yourself in an orbit not known to the adversary for a few weeks until brute force optical telescope searches find you again.
edit on 7-8-2011 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)
edit on 7-8-2011 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)

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