Simulated E-Bomb Effects on Electronically Equipped Targets
Enes Yurtoglu · 2009
Abstract: Like High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP), high power microwaves (HPM) produce intense energies, which may overload or damage various electrical system components such as microcircuits. This work theoretically investigates possible effects of a hypothetically designed HEMP-like weapon, an “e-bomb, ” on electronically equipped target systems whether it can overload, upset or damage any part of the targeted system. The procedure to determine these possible effects is, quantitatively, to estimate the electromagnetic coupling from first principles and simulations using a coupling model program, pursuing a feasible geometry of attack, practical antennas, best coupling approximations of ground conductivity and permittivity, a reasonable system of interest representation from specifications, threat waveshape and operating frequency. The analysis procedure investigates the role each of these factors contributes to the e-bomb coupling scenario and the end-to-end process is described as follows: A simple topographical system of interest transmission-line coupling model is created as a target that consists of some mission-essential distributed equipment nodes, which include electronic device components. A range, which turns out to be the detonation altitude over the target, is selected based on the desired frequency span, antenna diameter, and the geometry for the deployment platform source.