OPTIMUM SCATTERING FROM AN ARRAY OF HALF-WAVE DIPOLES

Optimization of the field scattered by an antenna has important application in radar systems and as elements in passive communication links. A method is given for optimizing the scattering from a linear array of half-wavelength dipoles at a prescribed bistatic angle. The array is excited by a plane wave incident at an arbitrarily specified angle. The field scattered by the array is maximized or minimized as a function of the parameters of a network connected to the accessible minimized as a function of the parameters of a network connected to the accessible antenna terminals. The result is a matrix eigenvalue equation of order 1/2M(M-1) for the optimum parameters of an M element array. Passive solutions are constructed which yield a prescribed zero in the bistatic scattering pattern. The corresponding network can then be realized using existing network synthesis procedures. The essential features of the theory are illustrated by synthesizing an optimum network for a two element array. It is also shown that backscatter at any angle can be minimized independently of the receiving pattern of the array. (Author)