Retrodirective Antenna Arrays for Secure Data Transmission in Covert Terrestrial and Nanosatellite Sensor Networks (17U07UHShiro)

这项研究的重点是新的自相天线阵列技术，允许安全通信的移动的代理，没有事先知道他们各自的位置的分布式网络内。这项建议的具体应用是隐蔽的地面传感器和超小型卫星网络。尽管分布式情报系统需要在整个网络中保持可靠、最新、不受影响的情报数据传播能力，但它们经常成为恐怖袭击的目标。在许多情况下，这些系统很容易被显眼的天线结构或其附近高浓度的射频发射探测到。本研究旨在发展反向天线阵列，以促进分布式地面传感器网络与信息收集纳卫星网络之间的隐蔽通信。与传统的相控阵天线相比，反向阵列是自定相的，并且能够提供自转向、点对点无线电交联。位于地面传感器上的反向阵列用于自主地将情报数据上传到卫星。卫星上的反向阵列用于建立安全的卫星间交叉链路。拟议研究的更广泛影响将导致科学，国防和情报界感兴趣的无线网络中更安全，更有效的数据传输。这项研究还将支持在具有重要国家意义的领域对学生进行多学科培训。

This research focuses on novel self-phasing antenna array technology that allows secure communication within a distributed network of mobile agents that have no prior knowledge of their respective locations. The specific application of this proposal is for covert terrestrial sensor and nanosatellite networks. Despite the need for distributed intelligence systems to maintain reliable, up-to-date, uncompromised intelligence data dissemination capabilities throughout the entire network, they are often targeted by terrorist attacks. In many cases, these systems are easily detected by conspicuous antenna structures or the high concentration of radio-frequency emission in their vicinity. this research is to develop retrodirective antenna arrays to facilitate covert communications between a distributed terrestrial sensor network and an information gathering nanosatellite network. In contrast to conventional phased-array antennas, retrodirective arrays are self-phasing and are capable of providing self-steering, point-to-point radio crosslink. Retrodirective arrays located at the terrestrial sensors are used to autonomously uplink intelligence data to the satellite. Retrodirective arrays aboard the satellite are used to establish secure satellite-to-satellite crosslinks. The broader impacts of the proposed research will result in more secure, efficient data transmission in wireless networks that are of interest to the scientific, defense, and intelligence communities. The research will also support multidisciplinary training of students in areas that are of critical national importance.