volume | PIER Journals

2014-06-29

On the Scanning Properties of Imaging Antennas Based on Dual Confocal Paraboloidal Reflectors

Fabio Pelorossi,

Dr. Fabio Pelorossi

European Space Agency ESA-ESOC

Germany

Homepage

Giovanni Toso,

Dr. Giovanni Toso

Electromagnetic Division, TEC-EEA

European Space Agency, ESA ESTEC,

The Netherlands

Homepage

Piero Angeletti

Dr. Piero Angeletti

European Space Agcy

The Netherlands

Homepage

Progress In Electromagnetics Research M, Vol. 37, 95-107, 2014

doi:10.2528/PIERM14033104

Abstract

In this paper the scanning properties of dual reflector antenna systems constituted by two confocal paraboloidal reflectors fed by a planar array are investigated. This antenna architecture combines the interesting features of reflectors and array antennas. Because of the offset configuration the radiation pattern exhibits an anomalous deviation in the beam pointing when the beam is scanned out of the boresight direction. Heuristic equations, representing an extension of the linear equations available in the literature, are derived, which permit predicting the pointing direction of the overall system as a function of the pointing direction of the feeding array in a significant field of view.

Citation

Copy Export

Fabio Pelorossi, Giovanni Toso, and Piero Angeletti, "On the Scanning Properties of Imaging Antennas Based on Dual Confocal Paraboloidal Reflectors," Progress In Electromagnetics Research M, Vol. 37, 95-107, 2014.
doi:10.2528/PIERM14033104

References

1. Fitzgerald, W. D., "Limited electronic scanning with an offset-feed near-field Gregorian system,", ESD-TR-71-272, Technical Report 486, Lincoln Laboratory, 1971.
doi:10.1002/j.1538-7305.1979.tb02230.x

2. Dragone, C. and M. J. Gans, "Imaging reflector arrangements to form a scanning beam using a small array," Bell Syst. Tech. J., Vol. 58, No. 2, 501-515, 1979.
doi:10.1002/j.1538-7305.1979.tb02230.x

3. Dragone, C., et al. "Scannable antenna arrangements capable of producing a large image of a small array with minimal aberrations,", U.S. Patent 4203105, May 13, 1980.
doi:10.1109/TAP.1986.1143870

4. Dragone, C., "Theory of imaging in Cassegrainian and Gregorian antennas," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 34, No. 5, 689-701, 1986.

5. Pearson, R. A., "An array-fed dual reflector antenna,", Ph.D. Thesis, 1988.

6. Rao, J. B. L., "Bicollimated offset Gregorian dual reflector antenna system,", U.S. Patent 4755826, Jul. 5, 1998.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2008.928777

7. Martinez-Lorenzo, J. A., A. Garcia-Pino, B. Gonzalez-Valdes, and C. M. Rappaport, "Zooming and scanning Gregorian confocal dual reflector antennas," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 56, No. 9, Sep. 2008.

8. Gatti, N., A. Catalani, L. Russo, P. Rinous, and G. Toso, "Shaped confocal antenna fed by active sparse array for multibeam satcom applications," 34th ESA Antenna Workshop, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 2012.