Effects of ionospheric scintillation on V and W band signals

Crowded frequency bands are forcing Earth to space applications to investigate frequency bands that are higher than those currently used. While natural ionosphere effects will be negligible on frequencies above 30 GHz, amplitude scintillation caused by a high altitude nuclear explosion (HANE) could degrade communication links for a period of time. Amplitude scintillation is modeled using the multiple phase screen method. The results show that for a short duration of a few minutes after a HANE that amplitude scintillation will have an impact on signal frequencies below 60 GHz.