Multipath Analysis Diffraction Calculations

This report describes extensions of the Kirchhoff diffraction equation to higher edge terms and discusses their suitability to model diffraction multipath effects of a small satellite structure. When receiving signals, at a satellite, from the Global Positioning System (GPS), reflected signals from the satellite structure result in multipath errors in the determination of the satellite position. Multipath error can be caused by diffraction of the reflected signals and a method of calculating this diffraction is required when using a facet model of the satellite. Several aspects of the Kirchhoff equation are discussed and numerical examples, in the near and far fields, are shown. The vector form of the extended Kirchhoff equation, by adding the Larmor-Tedone and Kottler edge terms, is given as a mathematical model in an appendix. The Kirchhoff equation was investigated as being easily implemented and of good accuracy in the basic form, especially in phase determination. The basic Kirchhoff can be extended for higher accuracy if desired. A brief discussion of the method of moments and the geometric theory of diffraction is included, but seems to offer no clear advantage in implementation over the Kirchhoff for facet models. Statham, Richard B. Langley Research Center NAS1-19000; RTOP 478-87-00-01...