Physics of Defense Studies

Unit 1: Physics of Navigation and Communication Systems

Role of Physics in defense technology, Introduction on navigation and guidance systems, Understanding the Global Positioning System (GPS), GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), terrain based navigation, Mathematical modelling, Advanced capabilities of MATLAB & Simulink.

Elements of a communications system and their relationship to system performance, Free space optical communication, Fiber optics communication, Wireless/cellular communications. Analog and digital communications systems. Introduction to RADAR, Radar parameters/definitions, radar equations. Radar cross section (RCS) & Theory of detection.

Unit 2: Laser in Defense Applications

Laser beam characteristics, Effect of laser on metals & composite materials, Tools to analyze and predict Laser System performance under different conditions like

land, sea air, etc. Laser Communication: navigation, control, guidance. Types of military Lasers, Chemical Lasers, Solid State Lasers, Gas Lasers, Advantages of Laser weapons, Future trends.

Unit 3: Physics of Aerospace and marine technology

Classification & mode of operation of various propulsion systems, Computational fluid dynamics (flow modelling strategies, physical modelling, finite difference equations, etc.)

Basics of Missile Physics, Classification of Missiles, Missile Aerodynamic Configurations, Effect of Curvature of Earth, Rotation of Earth, Variation of Gravity on Missile Trajectory.

Sea Water as Physical medium, thermodynamics of seawater, interaction of light and other em-waves with seawater, SONAR Technology, Physics of Submarine Technology

Unit 4: Plasma Physics in national security

Fission and Fusion reactors, Reactor safety, Chernobyl disaster, Fukushima disaster, Nuclear weapons, Effect of nuclear weapons: Blast, Direct nuclear radiation, Thermal radiation, Fires, Electromagnetic pulse, Radioactive fallout, Demo numerical studies of such weapons, The dynamics of nuclear arms race, International coalition for nuclear threat reduction, Fusion reactors for future space propulsion, Plasma antenna, Plasma thrusters for satellite controls.

References / Suggested Books:

1. “Satellite communication”, by T. Pratt, C. W. Bostian, J. E.Allnut. Publisher: John Willey and sons

2. “Satellite Communications Systems: systems, techniques and technology”, by G. Maral, M.

Bousquet, Z. Sun. Publisher:John Willy and sons

3. “Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications”, B. Sklar . Prentice-Hall, Inc.

4. “Introduction to Radar Systems”,by M.I. Skolnik. Publisher: Tata Mcgraw hill edition, 2001.

5. “Radar Systems Analysis and Design using MATLAB”,by B.R.Mahafza. Publisher CRC Press, 2013.

5. “High Power Laser-Matter Interaction”, by Mulser, Peter, Bauer, Dieter. Publisher : Springer.

6. “An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Finite Volume Method” by H. Versteeg. Publisher : Pearson; 2nd edition.

7. “Modeling and Simulation of Systems Using MATLAB and Simulink” by Deven-dra K. Chaturvedi, Publisher: CRC Press, 2010

8. “Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Threats”, J. Cir- incione, J. B. Wolfsthal, and M. Rajkumar, 2nd ed.

9. “Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons since 1940”, edited by S. I. Schwartz Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, 1998.

10. “Arms Control: The New Guide to Negotiations and Agreements”, J. Goldblat Sage, London, 2002.

11. “Nuclear Energy”, D. Bodansky, 2nd ed. Springer/AIP, New York, 2004.

12. “Managing Nuclear Operations”, edited by A. B. Carter, J. D. Stein- bruner, and C. A. Zraket Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, 1987.

13. “Plasma Antennas”, Theodore Anderson, Artech House Antennas and Propagation Library, 2011

14. “An Introduction to Plasma Physics and its Space Applications”, IOP Publishing, 2020