Scattering from a turbulent plasma

The scattering of electromagnetic waves from a dense turbulent plasma has been examined experimentally. The experiments include measurements of bistatic radar cross section, Doppler frequency, backscattered cross-polarized signals, and distribution of scattered power by a radar interferometer. Comprehensive diagnostic measurements were made on the plasma so that the radar measurements could be compared to a proposed scattering model. Using the model, the radar cross section of the inhomogeneous plasma can be calculated for peak electron densities well beyond critical. The agreement between calculations and experiments is excellent.