Jahresbericht 2018 für

NC URSI: National Committee of the Union radio-scientifique internationale


Präsident/Präsidentin: Farhad Rachidi

Von: Farhad Rachidi, farhad.rachidi@epfl.ch

Résumé


The International Union of Radio Science (Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale) is organized in different commissions and Switzerland is active in 6 of them: B (fields and Waves), C (Radiocommunication system and signal processing), D (Electronics and Photonics), E (Electromagnetic ENvironments and Interferences), F (Propagation) and K (Electromagnetics in Biology and Medecine). 

Key events for Switzerland in 2018 are as follows:

- Organization of a special session on time reversal techniques (organized jointly by Swiss URSI Commissions C) at the 2nd URSI Atlantic Radio Science Conference (URSI AT-RASC) which was held in Gran Canaria from May 28 to June 1st, 2018

- Active participation of Switzerland through Commissions C and E on experimental campaigns on lightning. The Säntis telecommunications tower was instrumented within the framework of a research project supported by URSI, for the measurement of lightning current parameters. The site is operational since June 2010 and, as of today, more than 700 flashes have been successfully recorded by the system. The obtained data constitutes the largest dataset available to this date for upward negative flashes. During 2018, a high-speed camera was installed ta about 5 km, as well as several updates on the deployed instrumentation at the Säntis Tower . 

- Swiss URSI Commission B has actively participated to the organization of URSI-supported EuCAP International Conference, which was held in London.

- Swiss URSI Commission B fostered collaboration between the European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EurAAP) and URSI. A EurAAP corner will be published in each radio science bulletin.

- The activities within the Swiss URSI Commission F in 2018 were related to the radio propagation matters in support of the World Radio Conference 2019 (WRC19), ITU-R Study Group 3 (SG3: Radio Propagation), and the European Electronic Communications Committee (ECC).

Software implementations and validation data for four ITU-R radio propagation models, developed by Swiss Federal Office of Communications OFCOM, are published by ITU-R:

 

They are now available as digital supplements to ITU-R Recommendations on the SG3 web page ?Software, Data and Validation examples for ionospheric and tropospheric radio wave propagation and radio noise? at https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/study-groups/rsg3/Pages/iono-tropo-spheric.aspx. These implementations are being regularly updated and maintained by OFCOM.

IT?IS foundation (Information Technology In Society) of ETH Zürich and OFCOM carried out a study which examined the effect of the human body on the propagation loss of wireless microphones as a function of the frequency, the type of microphone and the size of the human body. The simulated body effect values are included in the ECC Report 286: ?Body effect of handheld and body worn audio PMSE equipment,? published by ECC in September 2018.

- Dr. Jun Guo from EPFL received the Young Scientist Award at the 2018 Joint IEEE EMC and Asia Pacific EMC Symposium, Singapore, for his outstanding contributions to analytical modeling methods for field coupling to multiconductor transmission lines (carried out within URSI Commission E activities).



Publications


M. Baquero-Ruiz; S. Alberti; O. Chellai; I. Furno; T. Goodman et al. : Optically isolated millimeter-wave detector for the Toroidal Plasma Experiment; Review Of Scientific Instruments. 2018-12-01. DOI : 10.1063/1.5053991.

E. Menargues; S. Capdevila; T. Debogovic; A. I. Dimitriades; L. Simon et al. : Four-Port Broadband Orthomode Transducer Enabling Arbitrary Interelement Spacing; IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques. 

M. Pellaton; C. Affolderbach; A. Skrivervik; A. Ivanov; T. Debogovic et al. : Atomic clock microwave cavity: 3D Printing microwave resonator cavities for atomic clocks; Electronics Letters. 2018. 

C. Affolderbach; W. Moreno; A. E. Ivanov; T. Debogovic; M. Pellaton et al. : Study of additive manufactured microwave cavities for pulsed optically pumped atomic clock applications; Applied Physics Letters.  

M. Pellaton; C. Affolderbach; A. Skrivervik; A. Ivanov; T. Debogovic et al. : 3D printed microwave cavity for atomic clock applications: proof of concept; Electronics Letters. 

J.J. Pantoja, F. Vega, F. Roman, N. Peña, F. Rachidi, "On the Differential Input Impedance of an Electro-Explosive Device",  IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 858-864, 2018.

A. Andreotti, F. Rachidi, L. Verolino, "A New Solution for the Evaluation of the Horizontal Electric Fields From Lightning in Presence of a Finitely Conducting Ground", IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. 674-678, 2018.

L. He, M. Azadifar, F. Rachidi, M. Rubinstein, V.A. Rakov, V. Cooray, D. Pavanello, H. Xing, "An Analysis of Current and Electric Field Pulses Associated with Upward Negative Lightning Flashes Initiated from the Säntis Tower", Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 123, pp. 4045?4059. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028295, 2018. 

J. Guo, Y. Xie, F.Rachidi, K. Li, S. Wang, "On Non-Uniform Transient Electromagnetic Field Coupling to Overhead Transmission Lines", IEEE Transactions on Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 66, Nr. 6, pp. 3087-3096, 2018. 

M. Brignone, D. Mestriner, R. Procopio, A. Piantini, and F. Rachidi, "Evaluation of the Mitigation Effect of Shield Wires on Lightning Induced Overvoltages in MV Distribution Systems using Statistical Analysis", IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Vol. 60, Nr. 5, pp. 1400-1408, 2018.

J.J. Pantoja, F. Vega, F. Roman, F. Rachidi, "Effect of Dispersive Soil on the Electromagnetic Response of Buried Wires in the UHF Range", Radio Science, Vol. 53, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018RS006544, 2018.

J. Guo, Y. Xie, F. Rachidi, "A Semi-Analytical Method to Evaluate Lightning-Induced Overvoltages on Overhead Lines Using the Matrix Pencil Method", IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 2837-2848, 2018.

 



Conférences, cours


E. Menargues Gomez; S. Capdevila Cascante; T. Debogovic; A. Dimitriadis; J. Mosig et al. : Compact Orthomode Transducer with Broadband Beamforming Capability. 2018. 2018 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium - IMS, Philadelphia, PA, USA, June 10-15, 2018. p. 152-155. 

W. Moreno; C. Affolderbach; M. Pellaton; G. Mileti; A. Ivanov et al. : Ramsey-mode Rb cell clock demonstration with a 3D-printed microwave cavity. 2018. 2018 European Frequency and Time Forum (EFTF), Turin, Italy, April 10-12, 2018. p. 75-79. 

A. Smorgonskiy, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, "Extreme Values of Lightning Parameters", 2018 International Lightning Detection Conference (ILDC), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 12-15, 2018.

A. Mostajabi, A. Smorgonskiy, F. Rachidi, M. Azadifar, M. Rubinstein, G. Diendorfer, "An Analysis of Lightning Activity in the Säntis Region through the Big Hiatus in Global Warming", 2018 International Lightning Detection Conference (ILDC), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 12-15, 2018.

M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, M. Stojilovic, "Development of a Lightning Location System Based on Electromagnetic Time Reversal: Technical Challenges and Expected Gain", 2018 International Lightning Detection Conference (ILDC), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 12-15, 2018.

L. He, M. Azadifar, Q. Li, M. Rubinstein, V.A. Rakov, A. Mediano, D. Pavanello, M. Paolone, H. Xing, F. Rachidi, "Modeling of Different Charge Transfer Modes in Upward Flashes Constrained by Simultaneously Measured Currents and Fields", 2018 Joint IEEE EMC and Asia Pacific EMC Symposium, Singapore, May 14-17, 2018.

A. Mostajabi, N. Pineda, D. Romero, M. Azadifar, O. Van der Velde, J. Montanya, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, "LMA Observation of Upward Flashes at Säntis Tower: Preliminary Results", 2018 Joint IEEE EMC and Asia Pacific EMC Symposium, Singapore, May 14-17, 2018.

M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, "An Interpretation of Time Reversal Invariant Systems", 2nd URSI Atlantic Radio Science Conference, Gran Canaria, Spain, May 28-June 1, 2018.

D. Poljak, D. Cavka, F. Rachidi, "Generalized Telegrapher’s Equations for Buried Curved Wires", 2nd URSI Atlantic Radio Science Conference, Gran Canaria, Spain, May 28-June 1, 2018.

D. Li, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, G. Diendorfer, W. Schulz, "Analysis of Location Accuracy of ToA-Based Lightning Location Systems in Mountainous Terrain", XVI International Conference on Atmospheric Electricity, Nara, Japan, June 17-22, 2018.

A. Mostajabi, N. Pineda, A. Sunjerga, D. Romero, M. Azadifar, O. van der Velde, J. Montanya, G. Diendorfer, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, "LMA Campaign for the Observation of Upward Lightning at the Säntis Tower During Summer 2017: Preliminary Results", XVI International Conference on Atmospheric Electricity, Nara, Japan, June 17-22, 2018.[

A. Mostajabi, A. Sunjerga, F. Rachidi, M. Azadifar, A. Smorgonskiy, M. Rubinstein, G. Diendorfer, "On the Impact of Meteorological Conditions on the Initiation of Upward Lightning Flashes from Tall Structures", 34th International Conference on Lightning Protection ICLP, Rzeszov, Poland, September 2-7, 2018.

M. Brignone, D. Mestriner, R. Procopio, F. Rachidi, A. Piantini, "Mitigation of Lightning-Induced Overvoltages Using Shield Wires: Application of the Response Surface Method", 34th International Conference on Lightning Protection ICLP, Rzeszov, Poland, September 2-7, 2018.

A. Sunjerga, A. Mostajabi, N. Pineda, D. Romero, O. Van der Velde, M. Azadifar, M. Rubinstein, J. Montanya, G. Diendorfer, F. Rachidi, "On the Classification of Self-Triggered versus Other-Triggered Lightning Flashes", 34th International Conference on Lightning Protection ICLP, Rzeszov, Poland, September 2-7, 2018.

M. Azadifar, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, V.A. Rakov, D. Pavanello, S. Metz, "On the Similarity of Electric Field Signatures of Upward and Downward Negative Leaders", 34th International Conference on Lightning Protection ICLP, Rzeszov, Poland, September 2-7, 2018.

Q. Li, M. Rubinstein, J. Wang, L. Cai, M. Zhou, F. Rachidi, "Distant Electric Fields from Lightning Return Strokes: Influence of Soil Stratification and Frequency-Dependent Parameters", 34th International Conference on Lightning Protection ICLP, Rzeszov, Poland, September 2-7, 2018.

G. Nicora, V. Cooray, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, F. Roman, M. Fernando, E.E. Avila, J. Brechet, A. Perez, "AKUNU: Open Lightning Detection and Atmospheric Data Collection System", International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications ICEAA, Cartagena, Colombia, September 10-14, 2018.

M. Azadifar, M. Rubinstein, F. Rachidi, "An Update on the Characteristics of Positive Flashes Measured at the Säntis Tower", International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications ICEAA, Cartagena, Colombia, September 10-14, 2018.

 



Activités internationales


The link with Swiss radio scientists with the international community is a key task of the URSI Commissions. This is for instance illustrated by the organization of a special session at the General Assembly by the Swiss Commission E.

Another example of international collaboration of Radio Scientists under the patronage of URSI is the international project on lightning current measurements at Säntis tower, which involves international partners from the Royal Institute of Technology and Uppsala University (Sweden), University of Florida (USA), University of Bologna (Italy), and Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain).



Dialogue avec la société


In the light of 100 years of URSI in 2020, the URSI board plans to publish a book"100 years of URSI". The Swiss URSI commission will contribute with a chapter emphasizing the pioneering lightning research activities in Switzerland.