| Plasma antennas | |
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Description Plasma antennas represent a completely new class of antennas. Their technology relies on ionized gas to be used as a conductive element enclosed in tubes or other enclosures. It is well known that plasma has a specific conductivity given by its free electrons obtained from gas ionization, therefore it can be employed in the development of antennas and reflectors. This process is obtained with the application of an intense electromagnetic field to a glass tube filled with a low pressure gas. The pump signal needed for ionization and gas discharge parameters have to be carefully chosen in order to optimize plasma antenna design and realization. The research aims at developing a tool for the design of plasma antennas, and so to analyse all the parameters involved in the process. Among the results already obtained a self-consistent numerical model of a surface wave driven plasma column has been developed. This tool helps to understand the physical aspects involved in the problem and allows a parametric investigation to be carried out. Work is in progress to analyse different kind of feeding and ionization networks. |
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Laboratory Antenna laboratory at DII |
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Contact Person: Paola Russo |
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