LARGE-AREA BROADBAND SURFACE-WAVE ANTENNA

摘要

The antenna comprises a metal excitation loop (B1) to be positioned at a height (h) of at least about 1 above the surface (SM) of a conducting medium (M) and a supply means (A, L1n) to be connected to the conducting medium. The perimeter of the loop is about one half of the operating wavelength, namely lambda/2, in length. The loop comprises two approximately parallel portions (I1p-I1n, S1) which are at most about lambda/50 apart and are capable of extending approximately parallel to said surface in a plane approximately perpendicular to said surface, currents of opposite direction flowing through said portions. The closest portion to said surface includes an aperture between ends (E1p, E1n) of the loop that are connected to the supply means. The antenna is better protected from space waves and it can be reduced in size by being folded up.