Theory of intense electromagnetic pulse propagation through the atmosphere

A set of fluid equations is derived to describe the interaction of a very strong electromagnetic pulse with a weakly ionized plasma. These equations are used to investigate the dynamic behavior of an intense electromagnetic pulse propagating through the atmosphere. Results show that the amount of energy transmitted through the medium depends very strongly on the initial energy of the pulse and such characteristics and its frequency, its shape, and its length. In addition, a pulse was propagated through an air filled waveguide to verify the acuracy of the theoretical model. The theory also predicts very accurately the pulse breakdown threshold.