SCATTERING ERROR IN A RADIO INTERFEROMETER LOCATED ON A FINITE LENGTH CONDUCTING CYLINDER

Abstract

A modified general purpose plate/wire analysis computer program is used to predict the performance of a four-element interferometer mounted on the end cap of a finite length conducting cylinder. The analysis method includes effects of scattering from the cylinder and the antennas. Due to limitations of the computer program a square cylinder is modeled, and the antennas "float" above the end cap. Measurements made of a circular cylinder physical model generally confirm the computer results and show that good performance can be obtained with loop antennas provided that the cylinder exceeds a critical size. [Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 82-93 (1988)]