Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-31-1986

Degree Name

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering - (M.S.)

Department

Electrical Engineering

First Advisor

Gerald Martin Whitman

Abstract

A theoretical model and numerical investigation of the directive gain of a dielectric slab-wedge radiator is presented. The model is based on a union of the classical dielectric slab equations, local mode theory, and equivalent current distribution treatments of the truncated dielectric slab and wedge geometries.

The far field is developed from the sum of two current distributions. The slab region, up to the transition plane between slab and wedge, is replaced by equivalent electric and magnetic surface current densities. The wedge contribution is developed from a volume polarization current distribution.

Conservation of power is used to approximate the field amplitude in the wedge, assuming the wedge to be a slab of variable thickness. The asymptotic form of the two dimensional Green's function, modified for the wedge geometry, is used in the far field expressions. The eigenvalue equations are solved, again assuming the wedge is a slab of variable thickness.

FORTRAN 77 programs were developed to evaluate the resulting integral expressions for the far field, with the capability of solving for roots of the eigenvalue equations at each point along the wedge, excluding the tip. The far field radiation patterns are reported for various electrical lengths for a silicon dielectric.

The directive gain plots show that antenna pattern is endfire. Both TE and TM modes satisfy conservation of power for electrical lengths from π/2 to about 10 π. The performance of the TE mode is best at short lengths and gradually deteriorates with increasing length. The TM mode is generally more efficient throughout the entire range tested.

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