Analysis of the cylindrical plasma antenna system modes in a wide frequency range

Abstract

Plasma antennas have promising prospects for practical use with quick changes in their parameters in a wide frequency range. In this work, the radiation pattern of a plasma antenna system, which consists of a short linear antenna surrounded by fluorescent lamps, is analyzed in a frequency range of 0.5–1.5 GHz. In numerical simulation, the parameters of the gas-discharge plasma were used, which were obtained using the drift theory. In addition, an analysis of the radiation patterns using a simple and intuitive ring antenna array model was carried out, and the limit of its applicability was demonstrated. The experimental data were compared with those of simulation and theoretical analysis. Finally, a simulation was performed to compare the plasma antenna system with its metal counterpart. The results obtained are important for a whole class of nested antenna systems.