Re-entry blackout elimination and communication performance analysis based on laser-plasma-induced X-ray emission

Abstract

X-ray communication (XCOM) offers important advantages to both civilian and military space projects. Rapid advance in high-intensity laser interaction with plasma has become a driving force for providing a new X-ray carrier generation based on the laser wakefield acceleration scheme. XCOM has the potential to eliminate RF shielding on the ground and communicate with the re-entry supersonic spacecraft during blackout occurrence. In this process, the plasma sheath is formed around the surface due to air compression and ablation, which blocks the traditional communication signals. In this paper, the hazardous substance was proactively exploited and coupled with the modulated laser. Particle-In-Cell simulation results indicate the ultra-bright controllable X-ray emission with a small angular divergence (0.04 rad × 0.03 rad), a tunable X-ray energy range (4.60 keV to 321.48 keV), and high photon yields. Additionally, the data rate of the communication via the X-ray carrier during re-entry was estimated up to ∼20.7 Mbps by considering the transmission model, encoding schemes and photon information efficiency. Combined with an existing or developing X-ray detection technique, this regime can eliminate re-entry blackout and also provide a novel modulated X-ray source to acquire high-rate, low transmit power, and highly secure space-based data links.