A 16-foot diameter millimeter wavelength antenna system, its characteristics and its applications

• Published in: I.R.E. transactions on antennas and propagation 1965-03, Vol.13 (2), p.225-229
• Main Authors: Tolbert, C., Straiton, A., Krause, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antenna measurements; Earth; Extraterrestrial measurements; Frequency; Millimeter wave measurements; Moon; Optical attenuators; Optical distortion; Optical surface waves; Wavelength measurement
• ISSN: 0018-926X; 0096-1973; 1558-2221
• DOI: 10.1109/TAP.1965.1138413

This paper describes the characteristics of the 16-foot diameter millimeter wavelength antenna system at the Electrical Engineering Research Laboratory, University of Texas, Austin, Tex. Aperture efficiencies of the antenna at the frequencies of 35, 70 and 94 Gc are 59 per cent, 55 per cent and 52 per cent, respectively, corresponding to gain and beamwidths of 62.5 dB and 0.118\deg at 35 Gc/s, of 68.5 dB and of 70.9 dB and 0.048\deg at 94 Gc/s. First sidelobes and other sidelobes over the 35- to 94-Gc/s frequency interval are -18 dB and -25 dB, respectively. The 70-Gc/s radiation temperatures of Jupiter and the earth's moon have been measured. The brightness temperature of Jupiter was found to be 112 \pm 22\deg K and the maximum brightness temperature contour of the moon was 270\deg K. Relatively higher emission temperatures were observed from the maria and the craters of Copernicus and Tycho than from surrounding lunar areas.