The dynamic behavior of rain attenuation on satellite communication links

The proposed use of communication satellites operating above 10 GHz has stimulated research into the effects of atmospheric rain and ice on the reception of these signals. This thesis examines the statistics of fade rate, fade duration, and interface intervals on 19 and 28 GHz communication links, at an elevation angle of 45 degrees. The study uses 2 years of data collected from the COMSTAR-D2 experimental propagation beacons at Blacksburg, Virginia. The results are shown to depend on frequency, elevation angle, time of year, rainrate, rainfall amount, and the signal polarization. The results are also shown to depend on the receiver time constants, the data acquisition system sampling rate, and the signal-to-noise ratio. The number of fade events and interface intervals was found to vary slightly when hysteresis was added to the data reduction program.