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Microwave Propagation

The document discusses microwave propagation and absorption. It covers line of sight propagation and factors that affect transmission distance like antenna height and terrain. It also discusses absorption of microwaves by atmospheric gases like water vapor and how water vapor density can significantly impact attenuation at frequencies above 10GHz.

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Avan Cruzz
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36 views

Microwave Propagation

The document discusses microwave propagation and absorption. It covers line of sight propagation and factors that affect transmission distance like antenna height and terrain. It also discusses absorption of microwaves by atmospheric gases like water vapor and how water vapor density can significantly impact attenuation at frequencies above 10GHz.

Uploaded by

Avan Cruzz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ETI 2408 MICROWAVE DEVICES AND APPLICATIONS

Lecture Notes 2023 Instructor: Peter N. O.


Disclaimer: This material is purposely intended for class instructions. No copyright claim is attached to the material.
Lecture IX
MICROWAVE PROPAGATION
a. Line of Sight (LOS) Propagation
Analog microwave communication system includes LOS and over the horizon
(OTH) analog communication systems. LOS communication is limited by horizon
due to earth’s curvature i.e., the transmission distance is determined by the
height of the antenna above the earth in view of the horizon limitation.
Microwaves are normally bent or refracted beyond the optical horizon (horizon
visible to eyes). However due to atmospheric refractive changes, the radio
horizon could even be less than the optical horizon at times.

The height of the microwave tower should be such that the radio beam is not
obstructed by high rise buildings, trees, or mountains. LOS microwave systems
have shorter installation time, high flexible channel capacity and better
adaptation to difficult terrains and natural barriers. LOS microwave system
operates in the 14𝐻𝑧 to 10𝐺𝐻𝑧 frequency range. Above 10𝐺𝐻𝑧 however
absorption due to rain, fog or snow may affect the system performance. Above
20𝐺𝐻𝑧 it is the absorption due to water vapour and atmospheric oxygen that
limits the performance of an LOS system. Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
is used in all analog microwave LOS systems that enables several telephone
signals to be transmitted over the same carrier. Normally the 4 𝐾𝐻𝑧 telephone
channels are grouped as a 12 channel basic group in the frequency band 60KHz
to 108KHz. Further, 5 basic groups form a 60 − 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 super group in the
frequency band from 312𝐾𝐻𝑧 to 552𝐾𝐻𝑧. 16 super groups are clubbed
together to obtain a 960 channel master group.
b. Absorption of Microwaves by Atmospheric Gases
The transfer of electromagnetic radiation through an atmosphere is linked to its
state (temperature, pressure, and composition) by the refractive index and by
coefficient of absorption and scattering, if any. The absorption coefficient in a

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medium is a macroscopic parameter that represents the interaction of incident
electromagnetic energy with the constituent molecules. The interaction is
governed by three general principles.

1. Bohr’s Frequency Condition


The frequency, 𝛾 of a photon emitted or absorbed by the gas is equal to the
difference of two energy levels (𝐸𝑎 − 𝐸𝑏 ) of the gas, divided by Plank’s constant
ℎ.
2. Einstein’s Laws of Emission and Absorption
If 𝐸𝑎 is higher than 𝐸𝑏 , the probability, given initial state 𝑎, of stimulated
emission of a photon by a transition from state 𝑎 to state 𝑏 is equal to the
probability, given initial state 𝑏, of absorption of a photon by a transition from
𝑏 to 𝑎. Hence the net absorption is proportional to the difference in
thermodynamic probabilities (𝑃𝑎 − 𝑃𝑏 ) of two states.

3. Dirac’s Perturbation Theory


For the electromagnetic field to include transitions between states a and b, the
operator with which the field interacts must have a non-zero matrix element
linking the two states. For wavelengths that are very long compared to
molecular dimensions, this operator is the dipole moment.

c. Absorption of Microwaves by Water Vapour and Precipitates


Water vapor and fog are the most influencing parameters when microwave
propagates through the atmosphere. At high frequencies above about 10𝐺𝐻𝑧,
electromagnetic radiation starts interacting with the neutral atmosphere and
also with the various metrological parameters, in particular, precipitation,
producing absorption of energy and thus attenuation of signal levels. In addition
to absorption by molecular oxygen, molecules of water vapor also interact with
electromagnetic radiation in the microwave and millimeter wave regions.
The water vapor molecule being a permanent electric dipole produces rotational
transitions of the order of 104 times stronger than that of the magnetic
transitions of the oxygen molecule.
So, even though the abundance of water vapor in the atmosphere is
considerably less than the oxygen, it can produce significant level of attenuation
near the resonant frequencies. Water vapor attenuation is found to depend
quadratically on water vapor density, particularly at high densities, above about
12𝑔/𝑚3 .

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