An efficient stochastic approach to uncertainty quantification in 3-D FDTD magnetized cold plasma

An efficient stochastic finite-difference time-domain (S-FDTD) method is developed to analyze electromagnetic field variability in three dimensional anisotropic magnetized plasma. The new S-FDTD plasma model provides a full understanding of the true physics due to the associated uncertainties and has broad potential applicability. This new algorithm efficiently calculates in a single simulation not only the mean electromagnetic field values, but also their variance as caused by the variability or uncertainty of the content of the ionosphere. This ability will, for example, provide the capability of determining the confidence level that a communications / remote sensing / radar system will operate as expected under abnormal ionospheric conditions.