Millimeter-wave scattering and penetration in isolated vegetation structures

A novel numerical algorithm based on the radiative transfer equation (RTE) is presented, which allows the calculation of the scattering and penetration of isolated vegetation specimens such as, e.g., single trees, bushes, etc., at mm-wave frequencies. For this purpose, the RTE is stated in a discrete form, and the vegetation structure is discretized in elementary volumes. A step-by-step solution is proposed to solve for the desired attenuation, and indications on the influence of the different parameters on the propagation characteristics are given. A qualitative justification to the approach is presented and finally, a comparison with scattering measurements of ficus trees at 75 GHz is shown.