Jeremy Skinner 1.

Analyse information to identify the waves involved in the transfer of energy that occurs during the use of radar. Radar operates on a system of a sender/receiver and a target. The process initially begins with radiowaves sent out in consistent pulses. [1] Then the wave pulses reach the target, they reflect back to the sender/receiver. [1] (See Fig. 1) The receiver interprets the waves to establish the positioning of the target through, the direction of the echo, the time taken of the waves to return and the increase or decrease in wavelength. (It is to be noted that radio-waves move at the speed of light which is approximately 2.999 x 10^8) [1] The direction of the echo allows the receiver to know the direction of the target, the time taken for each pulse to return to the sender/receiver can be interpreted to give the distance away the target is and the increase in wavelength, relative to the speed of the target, is interpreted as that the target is moving away (and vice-versa with a shortened wavelength.) [1] A rapid repetition of this process yields a constant tracking of the target. The speed of the process is relative how accurate and up to date the current information of the positioning of the target.

Fig.1

2. Identify data sources, gather, process and present information from secondary sources to identify areas of current research and use available evidence to discuss some of the underlying physical principles used in satellite communication.

Satellite Communication is a way of sending/receiving information to other parts of the world and a work around to the fact that the world is spherical. A communication satellite is used as a way of bouncing high-frequency signals or wave pulses around the planet as a way of communication. (See Fig.2) A sender will transmit a signal to a satellite and the satellite will in turn, interpret the signal and retransmit it to the designated receiver. [2]

Fig. 2 Communication satellites orbit in what is called Medium Earth Orbit (a.k.a MEO) which is an orbit 8000 to 20,000 km from Earths surface. This orbit is usually in an elliptical shape. Typically a signal is sent out at a low frequency (a C-band frequency) and when redirected by the satellite, converted as Ku or Ka-band, which are of a much higher frequency so that they can catch them much more easily. [3] Frequencies used for satellite communication can from 120 MHz (Mega-hertz) to about 2300 MHz. [5] High frequencies were originally used in satellite communication but were phased out for lower frequencies because of the simplicity (it required less calculation of the optimum band). [4] Later, during the Cold War, military officers found that though it was more complex, high frequency communication allowed them to minimise the number of satellites used and have stronger communication flow. Satellite communication has many applications. It is used in Global Positioning Systems (GPS), satellite television programs (e.g. Foxtel), private communication (military, corporations, etc.), etc.

Bibliography [1] Andreiesson, M., Lofts, G., Morante, R. & Mott, J.B. (2002) Physics 1: Preliminary Course. John Wiley and Sons: Milton [2] Cook, W. (1996) How Do Satellites Work? [Online]. William Craig Cook. Available: http://www.williamcraigcook.com/satellite/work.html [Accessed 11 March 2012] [3] Satellite Basics [Online]. Intel Sat. Available: http://www.intelsat.com/resources/satellitebasics/how-it-works.asp [Accessed 11 March 2012] [4] Radio-Frequency Communication, Unit 3[Online]. FAS. Available: http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/afwa/U3.htm [Accessed 15 March 2012] [5] Russian International Space Flight Satellite Radio Transmission [Online]. Zarya. Available: http://www.zarya.info/Frequencies/FrequenciesAll.php [Accessed 15 March 2012]