Outline of radio science

Last updated October 23, 2025

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
- Antennas
- Atomic-based mechatronics
- Bioeffects and medical applications
- Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and EM metrology
- High-frequency and millimeter wireless metrology
- Impulse radar
- Interconnect and packaging
- Materials
- Measurements and calibration in propagation
- Microwave to sub-millimeter measurements/standards
- Noise
- Quantum metrology and fundamental concepts
- Space plasma characterization
- Techniques for remote sensing
- Test facilities
- Tetrahertz (THz) metrology
- Time and frequency
- Time-domain metrology
Commission B – Fields and waves
- Antenna arrays
- Antennas: recent advances and future outlook
- Antenna theory
- design and measurements
- Cognitive radio
- Complex media
  - bandgap structures
  - biological
  - geophysical media
  - metamaterials
  - and others
- Educational methods and tools
- Electromagnetic interaction and coupling
- Guided waves and waveguiding structures
- High-frequency techniques
- Imaging
- inverse scattering and remote sensing
- Mathematical modeling of electromagnetic problems
- Microstrip antennas and printed devices
- Multiphysics electromagnetics
- Nanoscale electromagnetics
- Nonlinear electromagnetics
- Numerical methods
  - differential-and integral-equation based
  - hybrid and other techniques
- Optical phenomena
- Optimization techniques in electromagnetics
- Propagation phenomena and effects
- Rough surfaces and random media
- Scattering and diffraction
- Theoretical electromagnetics
- THz antennas and propagation
- Transient fields effects and systems
- Ultra-wideband electromagnetics
- Wireless communications
Commission C – Radiocommunication systems and signal processing
- Cognitive radio and software-defined radio
- Distributed sensor networks and sensors array processing
- Energy-efficient ("green") communications
- Information theory, coding, modulation and detection
- MIMO and MISO systems
- Novel radio communication systems
- Physics-based signal processing
- Radar target detection, localization, and tracking
- Radio localization and positioning
- Signal and image processing
- Spectrum and medium utilization
- Statistical signal processing of waves in random media
- Synthetic aperture and space-time processing
- Wireless networking
Commission D – Electronics and photonics
- Broadband ubiquitous network
- Energy harvesting in wireless systems
- Fiber lasers and solid state lasers
- Graphene nanoelectronics applications
- Multi-physics modelling in radio frequency nanoelectronics
- Optical sensors and biosensors
- Plasmonics
- RF MEMS and NEMS
- Signal processing antennas
- 60 GHz electronics
- Trends in RFID for identification and sensing
- Trends in THz communications
Commission E – Electromagnetic environment and interference
- Communication in the presence of noise
- Crosstalk
- Electromagnetic compatibility education
- Electromagnetic compatibility measurements and standards
- Electromagnetic noise of natural origin
- Electromagnetic radiation hazards
- High-power effects of transients on electronic systems
- Spectrum management and utilization
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
- 4A: Efficient orbit/spectrum utilization for the fixed-satellite service (FSS) and broadcasting-satellite service (BSS)
- 4B: Systems, air interfaces, performance and availability objectives for the fixed-satellite service (FSS), broadcasting-satellite service (BSS) and mobile-satellite service (MSS), including IP-based applications and satellite news gathering (SNG)
- 4C: Efficient orbit/spectrum utilization for the mobile-satellite service (MSS) and the radiodetermination-satellite service (RDSS)
Study Group 5 – Terrestrial services
- 5A: Land mobile service above 30 MHz (excluding IMT); wireless access in the fixed service; amateur and amateur-satellite services
- 5B: Maritime mobile service including the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS); the aeronautical mobile service and the radiodetermination service
- 5C: Fixed wireless systems; HF and other systems below 30 MHz in the fixed and land mobile services
- 5D: IMT systems (International Mobile Telecommunications)
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.

References

↑ "SCIENTIFIC COMMISSIONS". International Union of Radio Science.
↑ "Radiocommunication Study Groups". International Telecommunication Union.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "SCIENTIFIC COMMISSIONS". International Union of Radio Science.

[2] "Radiocommunication Study Groups". International Telecommunication Union.

[1]

[2]

Outline of radio science

Contents

Union of Radio Science International (URSI)

International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R)

See also

References