A radar installation operates at 9000 MHz with an antenna (dish) that is 15 meters across. Determine the maximum distance (in kilometers) for which this system can distinguish two aircraft 100 meters apart.

R = 36.885 km

Explanation:

In order to distinguish the two planes we must use the Rayleigh criterion that establishes two distinguishable objects if in their diffraction the central maximum of one coincides with the first minimum of the other

The diffraction equation for slits is

            a sin θ = m λ

the first minimum occurs for m = 1

             sin θ = λ a

as the diffraction experiments the angles are very small, we approximate

             sin θ = θ

             θ = λ / a

This expression is for a slit, in the case of circular objects, when solving the system in polar coordinates, a numerical constant appears, leaving the expression of the form

            θ = 1.22 λ / a

In this problem they give us the frequency, let's find the wavelength with the relation

           c = λ f

           λ = c / f

           θ = 1.22 c/ f a

since they ask us for the distance between the planes, we can use the definition of radians

          θ = s / R

if we assume that the distance is large, we can approximate the arc to the horizontal distance

          s = x

we substitute

             x / R = 1.22 c / fa

             R = x f a / 1.22c

Let's reduce the magnitudes to the SI system

            f = 9000 MHz = 9 109 Hz

            a = 15 m

           x = 100 m

let's calculate

            R = 100 10⁹ 15 / (1.22 3 108)

            R = 3.6885 10⁴ m

let's reduce to km

            R = 3.6885 10¹ km

            R = 36.885 km

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