Comparative analysis of cylindrical reflectors of ideal and approximately parabolic shape

Authors

  • S. S. Vinogradov CSIRO ICT Centre, Australia
  • A. J. Green Sydney University, Australia
  • D. Campbell-Wilson Sydney University, Australia
  • M. Leung Sydney University, Australia
  • E. D. Vinogradova Macquarie University, Australia
  • J. D. Bunton Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia
  • M. J. Kesteven Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1109/ICATT.2005.1496924

Keywords:

cylindrical reflector antenna, parabolic profile, physical optics, complex-point source, method of regularization, square kilometer array

Abstract

The performance of a cylindrical reflector antenna of approximately parabolic profile is investigated. The theoretical simulations implement both rigorous Method of Regularization and Physical Optics approaches. The Complex- Point Source concept is used to simulate the tapered illumination. The ideal parabolic profile is approximated by a set of 2N straight line segments. A long electric dipole may be moveable from focal line to allow us to examine the impact of focal shifts on the overall performance of the reflector antennas. The methods may be applied to various geometrical and electrical parameters for reflector antennas (D/λ ≤ 500, p = F/D ≥ 0.1) but they have been mainly used to perform analysis of the giant cylindrical reflector antenna (Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, MOST) of the University of Sydney, which is located in Australia near Canberra.

It was shown that the design of this antenna is potentially capable of increasing its operating frequency from the present 843 MHz to 2 GHz, without significant loss in forward gain or distortion of the radiation pattern.

References

BUNTON, J.D.; JACKSON, C.A.; SADLER, E.M. Cylindrical Reflector SKA, Design Concept White Paper, http://www.scatetelescope.org/, 2002.

MILLS, B.Y. The Molonglo Observatory synthesis telescope. Astronomical Society of Australia, Proceedings, 1981, v.4, n.2, p.156.

ROBERTSON, J.G. The MOST and Other Radio Telescopes. Australian Journal of Physics, 1991, v.44, n.6, p.729.

VINOGRADOV, S.S.; GREEN, A.J.; ET AL. Finite Parabolic Cylindrical Reflector Fed by Line Feed. Abstract of Papers of Ninth Australian Symposium on Antennas, 2005, p.61.

VINOGRADOV, S.S.; SMITH, P.D.; VINOGRADOVA, E.D. Canonical Problems in Scattering and Potential Theory. Part II. CHAPMAN&HALL/CRC, 2002, 503 p.

VINOGRADOVA, E.D.; VINOGRADOV, S.S. Reflector antenna studies: rigorous approach versus approximate high-frequency techniques, Proc. of ANZIAM'2005, Napier, NZ, p.65.

JONES, D.C. Acoustic and Electromagnetic Waves. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, 745 p.

ICATT 2005 cover

Published

2005-06-05

Issue

2005: ICATT’2005 - Proc. of V Int. Conf. on Antenna Theory and Techniques

Section

Reflector, lens and hybrid antennas