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INTRODUCTION
A new method is being developed and patents are pending in the formation
of Cosmic Ignited Plasma Patterns in the Atmosphere (CIPPA). The CIPPA
method uses cosmic particle ionization trails to ignite breakdown within the
electric field pattern, thus significantly reducing power requirements and
costs. The ionized plasma pattern areas reflect a broad range of
radio/radar frequencies.
Military applications include quickly deployable communication systems for
theater-wide operations, including non line-of-sight UAV communications
and specialized intelligence gathering. Civilian applications include city-
wide and long-haul, high quality multi-media communications. There are
also potential weather applications, such as severe weather control.
The new CIPPA method offers significant benefits compared to previous
concepts for formation of artificial ionized regions in the atmosphere.
Previous concepts use pulsed beams of electromagnetic radiation and
require high electric fields for electrical breakdown in the atmosphere.
These previous studies require peak power levels up to 1010 watts and
costs in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Because of these extreme
power and cost requirements, artificial ionized regions have not been
created in the atmosphere using such systems. The CIPPA method takes
advantage of cosmic particle ionization trails (cosmic rays for altitudes below
40,000 meters and meteor trails at altitudes over 70,000 meters), which
fundamentally change the physics of the breakdown process by providing
an ignition source of electrons. The net result of the CIPPA method
Projections indicate this breakthrough for CIPPA could reduce the cost of a
system to a few million dollars and reduce the power requirements to less
than a megawatt in some cases and significantly below prior methods in
other cases. Moreover, the CIPPA innovation could make it possible to
create ionized plasma patterns in the atmosphere with low cost microwave
oven magnetrons used as radiating elements of a phased array heater.
The lifetime of individual radiating elements can be over 6,000 hours. The
lower power levels also lead to a safe system; for example, an aircraft could
fly through the phased array beam pattern without harm. A patent
application regarding the method and apparatus for formation of artificial
ionized plasma patterns was filed on September 6, 2005 by Dr. Bernard J.
Eastlund.
In the 1980’s, Dr. Eastlund was the author of patents assigned to APTI for
applications of a large phased array heater on the North Slope of Alaska for
ionospheric modification (patent number 4,686,605). One of those
applications was the creation of an artificial ionized layer with ECRH
heating. Dr. Eastlund played a major role in developing the Artificial
Ionospheric Mirror (AIM) proposal to AFRL in 1987 by APTI (then a wholly-
owned subsidiary of ARCO). He is prepared to carry out a proof of concept
program for creation of plasma patterns in the atmosphere using cosmic
particle ionization trails.
A technical advisory group of experts has been assembled for carrying out
the project. This group includes Professors Victor Granatstein and
Gennady Milikh, both of the University of Maryland, and Dr. Peter Koert, of
MIT. Professor Milikh is one of the pioneers of analysis of artificial ionization
layer research and is co-author of an important textbook on the subject.
Prof. Granatstein is an expert on microwave power technology and
microwave communications. Dr. Koert is an expert on the modeling of
ionization layer formation and is the author of a patent on tilting ionization
layers.
A new method is being developed and patents are pending in the formation
of Cosmic Ignited Plasma Patterns in the Atmosphere (CIPPA). The CIPPA
method uses cosmic particle ionization trails to ignite breakdown within the
electric field pattern, thus significantly reducing power requirements and
costs. The ionized plasma pattern areas reflect a broad range of
radio/radar frequencies.
Military applications include quickly deployable communication systems for
theater-wide operations, including non line-of-sight UAV communications
and specialized intelligence gathering. Civilian applications include city-
wide and long-haul, high quality multi-media communications. There are
also potential weather applications, such as severe weather control.
The new CIPPA method offers significant benefits compared to previous
concepts for formation of artificial ionized regions in the atmosphere.
Previous concepts use pulsed beams of electromagnetic radiation and
require high electric fields for electrical breakdown in the atmosphere.
These previous studies require peak power levels up to 1010 watts and
costs in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Because of these extreme
power and cost requirements, artificial ionized regions have not been
created in the atmosphere using such systems. The CIPPA method takes
advantage of cosmic particle ionization trails (cosmic rays for altitudes below
40,000 meters and meteor trails at altitudes over 70,000 meters), which
fundamentally change the physics of the breakdown process by providing
an ignition source of electrons. The net result of the CIPPA method
Projections indicate this breakthrough for CIPPA could reduce the cost of a
system to a few million dollars and reduce the power requirements to less
than a megawatt in some cases and significantly below prior methods in
other cases. Moreover, the CIPPA innovation could make it possible to
create ionized plasma patterns in the atmosphere with low cost microwave
oven magnetrons used as radiating elements of a phased array heater.
The lifetime of individual radiating elements can be over 6,000 hours. The
lower power levels also lead to a safe system; for example, an aircraft could
fly through the phased array beam pattern without harm. A patent
application regarding the method and apparatus for formation of artificial
ionized plasma patterns was filed on September 6, 2005 by Dr. Bernard J.
Eastlund.
In the 1980’s, Dr. Eastlund was the author of patents assigned to APTI for
applications of a large phased array heater on the North Slope of Alaska for
ionospheric modification (patent number 4,686,605). One of those
applications was the creation of an artificial ionized layer with ECRH
heating. Dr. Eastlund played a major role in developing the Artificial
Ionospheric Mirror (AIM) proposal to AFRL in 1987 by APTI (then a wholly-
owned subsidiary of ARCO). He is prepared to carry out a proof of concept
program for creation of plasma patterns in the atmosphere using cosmic
particle ionization trails.
A technical advisory group of experts has been assembled for carrying out
the project. This group includes Professors Victor Granatstein and
Gennady Milikh, both of the University of Maryland, and Dr. Peter Koert, of
MIT. Professor Milikh is one of the pioneers of analysis of artificial ionization
layer research and is co-author of an important textbook on the subject.
Prof. Granatstein is an expert on microwave power technology and
microwave communications. Dr. Koert is an expert on the modeling of
ionization layer formation and is the author of a patent on tilting ionization
layers.
IONIZATION TRAIL
MICROWAVE
HEATER
BEAM
HEATER
BEAM
| COSMIC IGNITED PLASMA PATTERNS IN ATMOSPHERE (CIPPA) |
PLASMA MIRROR