ABSTRACT
Electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation deals with the transfer of energy or information from one point to another through the media such as material space, transmission line, and waveguide. It can be described using both theoretical models and practical models based on empirical results. This chapter describes the free-space propagation model, path loss models, and the empirical path loss formula. It discusses the theoretical basis and characteristics of EM waves as they propagate through material media. The chapter considers the problem of a plane wave obliquely incident on a plane interface between two lossless dielectric media. The major regions of the earth’s atmosphere that are of importance in radio wave propagation are the troposphere and the ionosphere. At radar frequencies, the troposphere is by far the most important. It is the lower atmosphere consisting of a nonionized region extending from the earth’s surface up to about 15 km.
