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525.738 - Advanced Antenna Systems Course Homepage

Instructor Information

Steven Weiss

Work Phone: (301) 394-1987

Course Information

Course Description

This course is designed to follow Antenna Systems 525.418. Advanced techniques needed to analyze antenna systems are studied in detail. Fourier transforms are reviewed and applied to antenna theory and array distributions. The Method of Moments is studied and used to solve basic integral equations employing different basis functions. Green's functions for patch antennas are formulated in terms of Sommerfeld-like integrals. Techniques such as saddle-point integration are presented. Topics addressed include computational electromagnetics, Leaky and surface waves, mutual coupling, and Floquet modes. Students should be familiar with Complex Variables (contour integration), Fourier transforms, and Electromagnetics from undergraduate studies.

Prerequisites

525.418, Antenna Systems .

Course Goal

At the completion of this course, the student should have a much deeper appreciation of the advanced mathematical techniques that are used to evaluate antennas and antenna arrays.

Course Objectives

  • Develop advanced techniques in electromagnetics and apply them to a variety of antenna systems and arrays.
  • Familiarize the student with the method of moments approach to analyzing antenna structures.
  • Integrate various disciplines in electromagnetics so that the student appreciates antennas from a system standpoint (e.g., transmission line theory, propagation effects, electromagnetic techniques, etc.)
  • At the conclusion of the course, the student should have a far greater capacity to read and understand technical articles such as those seen in the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

When This Course is Typically Offered

This course is offered each year in the summer term at the Applied Physics Lab.

Syllabus

Topics Covered

  • Review of mathematical techniques for electromagnetics from Antenna Systems, Separation of variables, Bessel functions, and Hankel functions ? applications to patch antenna problems (homogeneous solutions.)
  • Developments of Fourier transform method(s) for radiation from apertures.
  • Fourier Transform method applied to apertures and arrays, design procedures for implementing these methods. Array/aperture distributions
  • Review of cavity model for patch antennas (Green?s function solution for the internal fields). Green?s functions for microstrip antennas (external fields) are developed in terms of Sommerfeld-like integrals.
  • Continuation of patch antenna problem ? radiated fields, surface waves, and leaky waves, review for the midterm.
  • Midterm exam
  • Array theory
  • Scan blindness in array theory
  • Aperiodic arrays
  • Moment methods in antenna theory
  • Noise in antenna systems, reflector antennas, traveling wave antennas, helix antennas, and review for the final.
  • Final exam

Student Assessment Criteria

Homework 30%
Midterm exam 35%
Final exam 35%

Computer and Technical Requirements

Student are expected to have access to a high level math language such as Matlab or Mathematica.  Some home work assignments will be dependent on the student writing proper code.

Textbooks

Textbook information for this course is available online through the MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore.

Course Notes

There are no notes for this course.

(Last Modified: 07-22-2008 at 11:07:57 AM)