Table Of ContentENVIRONMENT AND
SYSTEM HARDNESS
DESIGN
Dr. Rabiildra N. Ghose
EMP Environment
and System Hardness Design
By
Rabindra N. Ghose
Chairman of the Board
American Nucleonics Corporation
© Copyright 1984
I st Edition
DON WHITE CONSULTANTS, INC.
State Route 625
P.O. Box D
GainesvilJe, Virginia 22065 USA
Telephone: (703) 347-0030
Telex: 89-9165 DWCI GAIV.
All rights reserved. This book, or any pans thereof,
may not be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 83-5106 7
Printed in the United State~ of Amcri,·n
About the Author
Rabindra N. Ghose is founder of American Nucleonics Corporation.
He was formerly associated with Radio Corporation of America, Ramo
Woolridge Corporation, Space Technology Laboratories, Space General Corpor
ation, and University of Southern California. He holds a BEE (Summa Cum
Laude) degree from Jadavpur University (Calcutta), a post graduate degree in
Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, MS in
Electrical Engineering from University of Washington, and a MA in Mathema
tics, PhD and post-doctorate EE degree from University of Illinois. He also
holds an LLB degree and is a member of the California State Bar and a
registered pat ent attorney.
Pr. Ghose is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Institute of Electrical Engineers (London), American Physical
Society, American Association for Advancement of Science and Institute of
·Physics (London). · He is a chartered Engineer in the British Commonwealth,
and a Registered Professional Engineer in Electrical and Nuclear Engineering
in California.
Dr. Rabindra N. Ghose
To my wife and son-
Dorothy and Geoffrey
i
Foreword
It is a pleasure, on behalf of Don White Consultants, Inc., (DWCI) to release this
handbook on EMP Environment and System Hardness Design. This is another of our
many published handbooks on Electromagnetic Compatibility which will provide a major
contribution to the literature for years to come.
This handbook, EMP Environment and System Hardness Design, fills an existing
void. It was prepared for engineers and scientists, military and civilian organizations
involved in physical vulnerability assessments and for system designers, managers and
users of equipment who may be concerned about nuclear effects on their systems and
how to harden against such effects. It is written in terms of the advanced state-of-the
art and carefully illustrated so it will have broad applications in this important and
dynamic substantive area. The author, Rabindra N. Ghose, invites your comments. I
also welcome correspondence from any of the many readers who may want to com
ment on any aspect of this book.
January 1984 Donald R.J. White
Gainesville, Virginia USA Publisher
ii
Handbooks Published by DWCI
(1) White, Donald R.J., Electrical Filters-Synthesis,. Design & Applications, 1980.
(2) White, Donald R.J., Volume 1, Electrical Noise and EM/ Specifications, 1971.
(3) White, Donald R.J ., Volume 2, Electromagnetic Interference Test Methods and
Procedures, 1980.
(4) White, Donald R.J., Volume 3, Electromagnetic Interference Control Methods &
Techniques, 1973.
(5) White, Donald R.J ., Volume 4, Electromagnetic Interference Test Instrumentation
Systems, 1980.
(6) Duff, Dr. William G. and White, Donald R.J., Volume 5, Electromagnetic
Interference Prediction & Analysis Techniques, 1972.
(7) Hill, James S. and White, Donald R.J., Volume 6, Electromagnetic Interference
Specifications, Standards & Regulations, 1975.
(8) White, Donald R.J ., A Handbook on Electromagnetic Shielding Materials and
Per/o rmance, 1980.
(9) Duff, Dr. William G., A Handbook on Mobile CommunicatirJns, 1980.
(10) White, Donald R.J., EMI Control Methodology & Procedures, 1982.
(11) White, Donald R.J., EM/ Control in the Design of Printed Circuit Boards and
Backplanes, 1982.
(12) Jansky, Donald M., Spectrum Management Techniques, 1977.
(13) Herman, John R., Electromagnetic Ambients and Man-Made Noise, 1979.
(14) Hart, William C. and Malone, Edgar W., Lightning and Lightning Protection, 1979.
(15) Kaiser, Dr. Bernhard E., EM/ Control in Aerospace Systems, 1979.
(16) Feher, Dr. Kamilo, Digital Modulation Techniques in an Interference Environment,
1977.
(17) Gard, Michael F., Electromagnetic Interference Control in Medical Electronics, 1979.
(18) Carstensen, Russell V., EM! Control in Boats and Ships, 1979.
(19) Georgopoulos, Dr. Chris J ., Fiber Optics and Optical Isolators, 1982.
(2"0) M~diguian, Michel, How t~ Control Electrical Noise, 1983.
(21) Denny, Hugh W., Grounding for Control of EM!, 1983.
(22) Ghose, Dr. Rabindra N., EMP Environment and Systt~m Hardness Design, 198'3.
Notice
All of the books listed above are available for purchase from Don White Consultants,
Inc., State Route 625, P.O. Box D, Gainesville, Virginia 22065 U.S.A. Telephone: (703)
347-0030; Telex:89-9165 DWCI GAIV.
iii
Preface
Electromagnetic pulse resulting from a nuclear detonation, often re
ferred to by its acronym EMP, is one of the most serious nuclear effects .of
concem to electronic and weapon systems, since it can adversely affect
performances of such systems at distances hundreds of miles away from the
source. Although the mechanism of the EMP generation has been known for
some time, there has been a considerable progress in recent years to more
fully understand the characteristics of the EMP and to assess its damaging
potentials. From such an understanding evolved the concept of EMP hardness,
which symbolizes the safeguard·or protection of systems or equipment against
EMP during and following a nuclear burst.
Technical activities in the EMP field for the past decades have ·been in
four broad areas. The first area addressed the characterization of the EMP
depending on the source and the environment such a source creates, for
nuclear detonations at different altitudes above the earth's surface, including
the ground burst. The second area involved the analyses of various coupling
mechanisms for the EMP energy into electronic and weapon systems. Techni
cal works in the third area addressed the problem of assessing the susceptibil
ity or vulnerability of systems due to the EMP, and investigations of techniqµes
and the methodology required to protect the system from various EMP threats.
The fourth area encompassed the development of appropriate tests, sensors
and facilities where qualitative and quantitative EMP effects on systems or
components can be evaluated by physical simulation of the EMP. The
literature containing the results of such technical activities, however, are
scattered. Past attempts at compilation of the EMP information became too
voluminous to be contained in one book. The practical engineer, the system
manager or the user of a system, concerned with the EMP problem and
plausible remedies, may be better served by a short concise book on the
subject which not only provides an understanding of the nuclear EMP but also a
step-by-step methodology to assure the system hardness against the EMP
during the design and acquisition phase and during the system life-cycle. The
object of this handbook is to attempt to fulfill such needs.
The---nuclear detonation-altitude and the yield primarily determine the
intensity and waveform of the EMP and therefore define the EMP threat
against which the system has to be protected. Various probable sources of
EMP with different detonation altitudes are discussed in Chapter 2. For given
EMP characteristics, the susceptibility or vulnerability of an electronic or
weapon system will depend on the mode of entry of the EMP energy into the
system. Various coupling characteristics which determine such mode of entry
are discussed in Chapter 3. Effects of the EMP on systems in terms of
"upsets" or permanent damages are discussed in Chapters 4 and 5.
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