Scintillation at K-band and Ka-band frequencies

Abstract

The need for higher bandwidth and smaller antenna size for satellite communications led NASA to fund the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and propagation research for K-band and Ka-band frequencies. From December 1993 to December 1998, seven sites in North America have collected and processed power measurements at 20.2 and 27.5 gigahertz from ACTS, a geostationary statellite located at 100 ̊West longitude. The thesis compares scintillation measurements to eight scintillation prediction models, proposes a cumulative distribution model to help predict the percentage of time scintillation exceeds a given threshold, examines the effects of frequency on scintillation magnitudes, and proposes a climate model based on moisture content to help predict scintillation magnitudes. The study concludes that the scintillation prediction models are dependent on the climate, the frequency dependence is a function of climate, and the moisture content in the atmosphere dictates the percentage of time large scintillation occurs.