Measurement of the Properties of a Plasma Column Used as a Radiating Element

This paper presents two test benches for the characterization of a plasma column used as a radiating element. In particular, the main parameters to be quantified are the efficiency of the plasma antenna, the turn-on time of the column, and the conductivity of the plasma. The first two parameters are...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on instrumentation and measurement 2008-02, Vol.57 (2), p.242-247
Main Authors: Cerri, G., De Leo, R., Primiani, V.M., Russo, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antenna measurements
Antenna radiation patterns
Antennas
Benches
Conductivity
Copper
Dielectric parameters
Equivalence
Instrumentation
plasma antenna
Plasma antennas
Plasma applications
Plasma conductivity
Plasma density
Plasma measurements
Plasma properties
Plasma waves
Radio frequency
Reflection coefficient
switching time
Testing
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Summary:This paper presents two test benches for the characterization of a plasma column used as a radiating element. In particular, the main parameters to be quantified are the efficiency of the plasma antenna, the turn-on time of the column, and the conductivity of the plasma. The first two parameters are evaluated by measuring the field radiated by the plasma antenna compared with that of an equivalent copper antenna. For the conductivity, a reflectometric technique is used, wherein the plasma column is inserted inside a waveguide. The accuracy of the method is limited by the ill-conditioned relationship between the reflection coefficient and the plasma conductivity; nevertheless, it is sufficient to subdivide the range of the conductivity values into three regions (i.e., low, medium, and high conductivities) to determine the best operating conditions of the antenna.
ISSN:0018-9456
1557-9662
DOI:10.1109/TIM.2007.909503