A polynomial chaos approach for EM uncertainty propagation in 3D-FDTD magnetized cold plasma

The polynomial chaos-based stochastic Galerkin method is implemented in a magnetized plasma finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm to characterize the uncertainty characteristics of electromagnetic wave propagation in the ionosphere. This new algorithm efficiently calculates in a single simulation not only the mean electromagnetic field values, but also their standard deviation as caused by the variability or uncertainty of the content of the ionosphere. This approach represents a paradigm shift in our ability to analyze realistic, complex wave propagation in the ionosphere. The algorithm is validated by comparing with Monte Carlo results.