14-02-2013, 02:38 PM
PLASMA ANTENNA Abstract
Abstract
A plasma antenna represents a completely new technology of antennas that relies
on plasma elements rather than in traditional metallic wires or surfaces. The
feasibility of a plasma antenna is provided by plasma conductivity, that is given by
free electrons obtained by gas ionization with the application of an intense
electromagnetic field; the main advantage of plasma antennas results from the
possibility of changing electromagnetically their parameters: this characteristic
provide a plasma antenna with peculiar properties that make it suitable for several
applications (e.g, stealth application, antenna arrays, smart antennas, frequency
selective shields).
The pump signal and gas discharge parameters have to be carefully chosen in
order to optimize plasma antenna design and realization, in particular discharge
working conditions have to be defined in order to obtain the desired antenna
properties in terms of efficiency, effective length and so on.
To this purpose a self-consistent numerical model of electromagnetic field-plasma
interaction mechanism have been developed : a preliminary one dimensional model
was firstly implemented allowing the numerical approach to be validated, then a
cylindrical configuration enabled a more realistic description of plasma antenna
behaviour with respect to the working conditions adopted.
At the same time an experimental characterization has been carried out to propose
some measurement set-up and experimental procedures to characterize the pump and
radiated signal networks and investigate how plasma state is affected by them.
Abstract
A plasma antenna represents a completely new technology of antennas that relies
on plasma elements rather than in traditional metallic wires or surfaces. The
feasibility of a plasma antenna is provided by plasma conductivity, that is given by
free electrons obtained by gas ionization with the application of an intense
electromagnetic field; the main advantage of plasma antennas results from the
possibility of changing electromagnetically their parameters: this characteristic
provide a plasma antenna with peculiar properties that make it suitable for several
applications (e.g, stealth application, antenna arrays, smart antennas, frequency
selective shields).
The pump signal and gas discharge parameters have to be carefully chosen in
order to optimize plasma antenna design and realization, in particular discharge
working conditions have to be defined in order to obtain the desired antenna
properties in terms of efficiency, effective length and so on.
To this purpose a self-consistent numerical model of electromagnetic field-plasma
interaction mechanism have been developed : a preliminary one dimensional model
was firstly implemented allowing the numerical approach to be validated, then a
cylindrical configuration enabled a more realistic description of plasma antenna
behaviour with respect to the working conditions adopted.
At the same time an experimental characterization has been carried out to propose
some measurement set-up and experimental procedures to characterize the pump and
radiated signal networks and investigate how plasma state is affected by them.