Overview of and topical guide to radio science
One way of outlining the subject of radio science is listing the topics associated with it by authoritative bodies.
Union of Radio Science International (URSI)
The International Union of Radio Science has several commissions corresponding to the following topics of interest:[1]
- Commission A – Electromagnetic metrology
- Commission B – Fields and waves
- Commission C – Radiocommunication systems and signal processing
- Commission D – Electronics and photonics
- Commission E – Electromagnetic environment and interference
- Commission F – Wave propagation and remote sensing
- Propagation measurements/models for fixed and mobile links
- Measurements of fixed and mobile channels
- Propagation models
- Multipath mitigation
- Fixed terrestrial links: measurements and design strategies
- Surface/atmosphere interaction
- Dispersion/delay
- Effects of natural/man-made structures
- Outdoor to indoor propagation
- Multi link MIMO channels
- UWB channel characteristics, Small cell propagation
- Remote sensing of the Earth/planets by radio waves
- Passive sensing at millimeter wavelengths
- Interferometry and SAR
- Sensing of snow in open and forested environments
- Remote sensing of precipitation
- Atmospheric sensing
- Sensing of soil moisture and biomass
- Ocean and ice sensing
- Urban environments
- Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)
- Underground imaging
- Propagation and remote sensing in complex and random media
- Commission G – Ionospheric radio and propagation
- Ionospheric imaging
- Ionospheric morphology
- Ionospheric modeling and data assimilation
- Radar and radio techniques for ionospheric diagnostics
- Space weather – radio effects
- Transionospheric radio propagation and systems effects
- Commission H – Waves in plasma
- Chaos and turbulence in plasma
- Plasma instabilities and wave propagation
- Spacecraft-plasma interactions
- Solar/planetary plasma interactions
- Wave-wave and wave-particle interactions
- Waves in laboratory plasmas
- Commission J – Radio astronomy
- Detection of short-duration transients
- Developments in array technology for radio astronomy
- New telescopes, techniques, and observations
- Radio frequency interference mitigation and spectrum usage
- Square Kilometre Array
- Timely technical tutorials
- Commission K – Electromagnetics in biology and medicine
- Biological effects
- Dosimetry and exposure assessment
- Electromagnetic imaging and sensing applications
- Human body interactions with antennas and other electromagnetic devices
- Therapeutic, rehabilitative, and other biomedical applications
International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R)
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has several study groups, each made of working parties, as follows:[2]
- Study Group 1 – Spectrum management
- 1A: Spectrum engineering techniques
- 1B: Spectrum management methodologies and economic strategies
- 1C: Spectrum monitoring
- Study Group 3 – Radiowave propagation
- 3J: Propagation fundamentals
- 3K: Point-to-area propagation
- 3L: Ionospheric propagation and radio noise
- 3M: Point-to-point and Earth-space propagation
- Study Group 4 – Satellite services
- Study Group 5 – Terrestrial services
- Study Group 6 – Broadcasting service
- 6A: Terrestrial broadcasting delivery
- 6B: Broadcast service assembly and access
- 6C: Programme production and quality assessment
- Study Group 7 – Science services
- 7A: Time signals and frequency standard emissions: Systems and applications (terrestrial and satellite) for dissemination of standard time and frequency signals
- 7B: Space radiocommunication applications: Systems for transmission/reception of telecommunicated and tele-metry data
- 7C: Remote sensing systems: for space operation and for space research
- 7D: Radio astronomy: remote sensing systems and applications for Earth exploration meteorology and planetary sensing.