Characterizing Millimeter Wave Attenuation and Phase Shifts Using a Novel Propagation Model in Harsh Environments

Recent studies have increasingly examined how weather changes affect the performance of wireless connected systems. Earlier research investigated the effects of rain and snow on electromagnetic wave propagation, revealing that millimeter waves are particularly sensitive to weather variations and that vertical polarization performs best under such conditions. Additional work using a Mie scattering model concludes that the impact of dust and sand on millimeter wave propagation is minimal when visibility exceeds 10 meters. In this study, we analyze both normal and oblique incidences of electric and magnetic fields in dusty/sandy environments using a new complex attenuation model. Various polarization forms were considered to determine which is least affected by dust and sand storms. We utilize mathematical models of linear, circular, and elliptical polarizations for normal incidence to assess their behavior under such conditions. For oblique incidence, the analysis focuses on transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) fields in the context of a uniform plane wave. Maxwell’s equations, combined with the new complex attenuation model, are employed to derive the mathematical representations of the electric and magnetic fields for both incidence scenarios. Finally, numerical simulations performed using MATLAB illustrate the behavior of different polarizations under severe weather conditions.