PARABOLOIDAL AND PROLATE-SPHEROIDAL IMPULSE RADIATING ANTENNAS WITH ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Dr. D. V. Giri Pro-Tech, 11-C Orchard Court, Alamo, CA 94507-1541 USA, Giri@DVGiri.com, www.dvgiri.com

ABSTRACT We start this paper with a four-band classification of high-power electromagnetic (HPEM) waveforms based on bandwidth that has been recently proposed and formalized. An antenna system that radiates impulse-like waveforms making use of reflectors has been called the impulse radiating antenna (IRA). More recently prolate-spheroidal surfaces are being considered to fabricate such antennas for specialized applications. This paper presents these antennas along with some representative applications. 1. INTRODUCTION It is well established that sufficiently intense electromagnetic (EM) signals in the frequency range of 200 MHz to 5 GHz can cause upset or damage in electronic systems. This induced effect in an electronic system is commonly referred to as intentional electro-magnetic interference (IEMI). Such an intentional electro-magnetic environment (IEME) can be: a single pulse with many cycles of a single frequency (an intense narrowband signal that may have some frequency agility), a burst containing many pulses, with each pulse containing many cycles of a single frequency, an ultra-wideband pulse (spectral content from 100s of MHz to several GHz), or a burst of many ultra-wideband transient pulses, Note that all of the above EM environments could be radiated or conducted. One way of classifying the HPEM environments is based on the frequency content of their spectral densities as narrowband, moderate band, ultra-moderate band and hyperband. To characterize these environments, we consider the bandratio of the EM spectrum as br = ( f h / f l ) . Using the inherent features of br in a manner consistent with the emerging EM field production technologies, the definitions for bandwidth classification presented in Table 1 has been proposed [1, 2].

TABLE 1 HPEM CLASSIFICATION BASED ON BANDWIDTH

Percent bandwidth Band type

br 1 pbw = 200 (%) br +1

< 1% 1% < pbw < 100%

Bandratio br

Narrow Moderate

< 1.01 1.01 < br < 3 3 < br < 10 br > 10

Ultramoderate Hyperband

100% < pbw < 163.64 % 163.4% < pbw < 200%

Note that this terminology has been formalized in IEC 61000-2-13 Standard, entitled EMC, Highpower electromagnetic (HPEM) environments -radiated and conducted. We observe that the definition of upper and lower significant frequencies as the 3 dB frequency points are not always feasible. Also, in many waveforms the flat part of the spectrum may not be sufficiently flat to accurately determine the 3 dB frequency points. For this reason, the lower and upper frequency points are defined to be [2] the range in which 90% of the energy is contained. Once again there may be more than one range that contains 90 % of the energy. We choose the smallest range of frequencies which contains 90% of the energy. One can provide examples of HPEM generators that employ current and emerging technologies, for each category of the four-band classification. The above classification is useful in describing potential HPEM environments. In the case of HPEM waveforms, we stipulate the lower frequency limit to be 1 Hz, if there is a large dc content in the spectrum. It is to be emphasized that the HPEM signals can be both radiated and conducted. Conducted HPEM environments are also a potential threat to electronic equipment connected to power and communication lines [3, 4]. In most modern buildings there is a personal computer on nearly every desk, and these computers are typically connected to the power supply and to a telephone cable or local area network (LAN), which make them vulnerable to conducted and interfering HPEM signals.

_____________________________________________________ Proc. EuCAP 2006, Nice, France 610 November 2006 (ESA SP-626, October 2006)

 2. HYPERBAND SYSTEMS (163.64 % < pbw < 200%) or ( br > 10) etc.

Since it was the first proposed in 1989 [5] , paraboloidal reflectors fed by TEM transmission lines have received a lot of attention, owing to their main attractive property of extremely wide bandwidth, without the adverse effects of dispersion. They have been called the impulse radiating antennas (IRAs) and a photograph of an example, the prototype IRA in Figure 1.

Hostile target detection and identification [10] Space debris detection Periscope detection Source for vulnerability studies via transfer functions [11] high-power, hyper -wideband jammers [12] law-enforcement applications such as seeing through walls [13] Electrical characterization of materials (e.g., wave propagation measurements in materials such as rock, concrete etc.,) Industrial applications (detection of leaky or defective pipes) [14] Detection of human beings in earthquake rubble [15] Searching for avalanche victims [16] Artillery application [17]

They can be designed to operate from 10s of MHz to several GHz. This is an extremely wideband spectrum where critical military and civilian operations take place in the field of radar and communication engineering. Figure 1. Photograph of the 3.67m Prototype IRA The bandwidth associated with time-domain antennas is to be distinguished from the approximately 10 to 1 bandwidth of the so called frequency independent antennas such as the log-periodic antenna, which is highly dispersive since the phase center of the antenna is not fixed. Different CW frequencies applied to a log-periodic antenna get radiated from different portions of the antenna, which makes it dispersive, if all of the frequencies are applied at the same time as in a pulsed application. Reflector IRAs overcome this problem and even have equivalent electric and magnetic dipole moments characterizing the low-frequency performance. Even the dipolar radiation at low frequencies is along the optical axis of the reflector. Many optimal reflector IRAs has been designed, fabricated and tested. Some of them are summarized in Table 2 with various performance parameters. 3. ILLUSTRATIVE APPLICATIONS Hyperband systems can be built in many forms such as reflector IRAs described above, or TEM horns [6], and lens IRAs [7]. They have useful applications such as: Disrupter (Disrupting Integrated System, Releasing Ultra-Power Transient Electromagnetic Radiation) [8] Buried target detection such as demining [9] We will briefly discuss three of the above mentioned applications. 3.1 Transfer Function of Buried Facilities

The Swiss IRA described in Table 3 was employed in measuring the responses of a buried test-bed facility for HPEM environments. The facility was a concrete reinforced building buried in the earth. It had a small above-ground concrete structure that provided protection for the stairway leading from the surface to the working area below, as seen in figure 2.

Figure 2. Exterior view of the underground Swiss test-bed facility The test data was gathered for both the pulse and CW illuminations. The same IRA was used for both types of excitations. Figure 3 represents the measured transient E-field from the IRA at a distance of 6 m from the radiator.

# Name 1 Prototype IRA

AFRL, KAFB, NM USA

Pulser
+ 60 kV 100ps/20ns 200 Hz

Antenna
3.66m dia (F/D) = 0.33 1.83 m dia (F/D) = 0.33 1.8 m dia (F/D) = 0.28 0.9 m dia (F/D) = 0.37 0.9 m dia (F/D) = 0.37 23 cm dia (F/D) = 0.35 10 cm dia (F/D) = 0.33

Far field
4.2 kV/m at r = 304m 27.6 kV/m at r = 25 m 220 V/m at r = 41 m Not available Not available Not available Not available

rE
1280 kV

r E / Vo
10.67

br
100

2 Upgraded Prototype IRA + ~ 75 kV

AFRL,KAFB, NM, USA 85 ps/ 20 ns ~ 400 Hz 2.8 kV 100 ps/4 ns 800 Hz 9 kV 100 ps/ 4 ns 800 Hz 9 kV 100 ps/ 4 ns 800 Hz

690 kV

5 to 6 (est.)

50

3 Swiss IRA, NEMP Lab,

Spiez, Switzerland

10 kV

50

4 TNO IRA
The Netherlands

34 kV

3 to 4

24

5 Magdeburg, Germany

34 kV (est.) 10 kV (est.) Not available

3 to 4 (est.) 3 (est.) Not available

24

6 Pro-Tech, Alamo, CA

2.8 kV 100 ps / 4 ns 800 Hz

7 Pro-Tech, Alamo, CA

Yet to be measured

2.6 6

Table 2. Some examples of Paraboloidal reflector IRAs with performance characteristics

1200

Data File M001.dat d=6m

800

E(t) (V/m)

400

-400 0 2E-008 4E-008

Time (s)

6E-008

8E-008

1E-007

Figure 3. Measured transient IRA field at a distance of 6m from the antenna

In this measurement, a number of different antenna locations and observation points for EM fields and induced wire currents were made. One of the first facility measurements made was with the IRA source located at the main entrance. The measured transient and computed spectral E-fields inside the facility with the main door open and shut cases are illustrated in figure 4. At the bottom of the stairs in the facility entrance was a power system interconnection panel, where a ground wire was instrumented with a current probe.
1500 1000 500 0 -500 -1000 0 2E-008 4E-008

Door open

Data File M006.dat M007.dat (door open and shut)

E(t) (V/m)

Door shut

Time (s)

6E-008

8E-008

1E-007

Figure 5. Measured transient current on a power line neutral and the corresponding computed spectral magnitude The testing of this buried facility resulted in a number of interesting results both for the EM field penetration into the facility, as well as for the induced currents in power and communication lines. From these measurements transfer functions are calculated and can be compared with computational models. With the IRA as a pulsed antenna, the transfer function measurements are done by a Fourier transformation of the induced transient responses, thus greatly reducing the problem complexity.

0.0001 1E-005 1E-006

Door open Door shut

|E()| (V/m/Hz)

1E-007 1E-008 1E-009 1E-010

Data File M006.dat M007.dat (Door open and shut)

1E+008 1E+009 1E+010

1E-011 1E+007

3.1 JOLT (Hyperband Radiator) The JOLT antenna is a half-IRA with a 3.05m diameter, paraboloidal, commercial microwave reflector that has been cut in half and flanged for attachment to the ground plane. The transient energy source located at the focal point of this reflector launches a near-ideal TEM spherical wave on to the reflector through a polypropylene lens to be reflected as a collimated beam. A line schematic diagram and a photograph of the JOLT system are shown in figures 6 and 7.

Frequency (Hz)

Figure 4. Measured E-filed inside the facility with the door open and shut configuration Measured transient current in this wire is shown in Figure 5.

It is seen that the impulse-like radiated field from the JOLT seen in figure 8 has an extremely large bandwidth ranging from about 40 MHz to about 4 GHz or a band ratio of 100. Such HPEM environments are useful in specialized applications. 3.2 Seeing Through Walls Tatoian et al [13] have employed a reflector IRA pair (transmit and receive) to get a one-dimensional through the wall radar signatures of certain objects. Figure 9 presents a representative sample of the measured data. The shown signatures are the result of 2-way wave propagation (Impulse radar- generated wave propagates through-the-wall scatters from the target on the other side of the wall, comes back through the same wall and is received by the same radar).
Through-the-Wall Sensing: Combined

Figure 6. Schematic of a Half IRA

2.36

2 ds1 n Voltage, V ds2 n ds3 n 1

Figure 7. Photograph of JOLT Radiator

1.699 2 0 0 1 .10 8 2 .10 8 time n Time, sec 3 .10 8 4 .10 8 5 .10 8

8 4.995.10

The JOLT is a high-voltage transient system built at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, NM during 1997-1999. The pulsed power system centers on a very compact resonant transformer capable of generating over 1 MV at a pulse repetition frequency of 600 Hz. This is switched via an integrated transfer capacitor and an oil peaking switch onto an 85 Ohm half IRA. This unique system will deliver a far radiated field with a fullwidth half maximum (FWHM) on the order of 100 ps, and a field range product ( r E peak) of ~ 5.3 MV, exceeding all previously reported results. A representative measured far-electric field is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 9. One-dimensional through the wall radar return signal Man only (red)M16 only (blue) Man with M16 (black), The test wall consisted of an 8-inch concrete slab with two layers of 3-gage metallic rebar inside and yielded 56 dB two-way power attenuation. The targets included Man, Man and M16 rifle, M16 rifle only. Each graph in figure 11 represents true radar signature, or signal-related voltage, S, associated with the specific test target. The time axis corresponds to a round-trip travel distance of 15.24 m. Work is in progress in this area and expected to lead to target imaging using Impulse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR). 4. Prolate-Spheroidal IRA Paraboloidal IRAs described above produce a beam that is focused at infinity. There are emerging applications that require focusing at a finite distance. This is possible if the reflector is a prolate spheroid instead of a paraboloid [18, 19, 20 and 21]. The prolate spheroid has two foci. The antenna is excited at one of the foci and the energy is focused at the second focal point.

Figure 8. Measured electric field at a boresight distance of r = 85m

5.Summary In this paper, we have presented the 4-way classification of HPEM environments based on bandwidth. This classification is based on emerging technologies and example systems in each of the four categories are also described. In addition, illustrative examples of Hyperband radiators, which are finding many useful applications both in the military and civilian sectors, are described. References 1. D. V. Giri, Classification of Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Based on Bandwidth, AMEREM 2002, Annapolis, Maryland, 2-7 June 2002. 2. D. V. Giri and F. M. Tesche, Classification of Intentional Electromagnetic Environments (IEME), IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Volume 46, Number 3, August 2004. 3. V. Fortov, F. Loborev, Yu. Parfenov, V. Sizranov, B. Yankovskii,, and W. Radasky, Estimation of Pulse Electromagnetic Disturbances Penetrating into Computers Through Building Power and Earthing Circuits, Metatech Corporation, Meta-R176, December 2000. 4. V. Fortov, Yu. Parfenov, L. Zdoukhov, ,R. Borisov, S. Petrov, L. Siniy, and W. Radasky, Experimental Data on Upsets or Failures of Electronic Systems to Electric Impulses Penetrating into Building Power and Earthing Nets, Metatech Corporation, Meta-R187, December 2001. 5. C. E. Baum, Radiation of Impulse-Like Transient Fields, Sensor and Simulation Note 321, November 25, 1989. 6. C. E. Baum, Low-Frequency Compensated TEM Horn, Sensor and Simulation Note 377, 28 Jan 1995. 7. E. G. Farr, Boresight Field of a Lens IRA, Sensor and Simulation Note 370, October 1994. 8. C. E. Baum, The Disrupter, Transient Radiating Antenna Memo 4, 19 May 1998. 9. Humanitarian Demining at TNO Laboratory, The Hague, The Netherlands. 10. Detection and Identification of Visually Obscured Targets, edited by C. E. Baum, published by Taylor and Francis, 1998. 11. F. M. Tesche, D. V. Giri, P. F. Bertholet, A. Jaquier, and A. W. Kaelin, Measurements of High-Power Electromagnetic Field Interaction with a Buried Facility, ICEEA Torino, 10-14 September 2001, pp 99-102, 12. C. E. Baum, et. all., JOLT: A Highly Directive, Very Intensive, Impulse-Like Radiator, Invited Paper in the Proceedings of the IEEE, Special Issue on Pulsed Power Technology and Applications, pp 1096-1109, July 2004. 13. J. T. Tatoian, D. V. Giri, R. Manzano, and G. Gibbs, Feasibility of an Impulse Radiating Antenna (IRA) for Through the Wall Sensing, ICEAA Torino, 8-12 September 2003, pp 389-392.

14. C. Maierhofer, T. Kind, J. Woestmann, and H. Wiggenhauser, Antenna Development for Impulse Radar Applications in Civil Engineering, EUROEM 2004, Magdeburg, Germany, 12-16 July 2004. 15. I. Akiyama, Y. Araki, M. Isozaki, M. Ohki, and A. Ohya, UWB Radar System Sensing of Human Being Buried in Rubbles for Earthquake Disaster, EUROEM 2004, Magdeburg, Germany, 12-16 July 2004. 16. W. A. Chamma, H. Mende, and R. Robinson, Ultra Wideband Radar for the Search of Avalanche Victims, EUROEM 2004, Magdeburg, Germany, 12-16 July 2004. 17. H. Herlemann, M. Koch, and F. Sabath, UWB Antenna for Artillery Applications, EUROEM 2004, Magdeburg, Germany, 12-16 July 2004. 18. K. Kim and W. R. Scott, Jr, Analysis of Impulse Radiating Antennas with Ellipsoidal Reflector, Sensor and Simulation Note 481, 31 October 2003 19. C. E. Baum, Producing Large Transient Electromagnetic Fields in a Small Region: An Electromagnetic Implosion, Sensor and Simulation Note 501, August 2005. 20. C. E. Baum, Focal Waveform of a ProlateSpheroidal IRA, Sensor and Simulation Note 509, February 2006 21. D. V. Giri, Analysis of an Impulse Radiating Antenna with a Prolate-Spheroidal Reflector, presented at the AMEREM 2006 Symposium held at Albuquerque Convention Center, July 10-14, Albuquerque, NM. D. V. Giri was born in India and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He received the B.Sc. degree in Physics and Mathematics from Mysore University in 1964. He then entered the Indian Institute of Science and received the B. E. and M. E. (Microwaves) in 1967 and 1969, respectively. He continued his graduate study at Harvard University receiving M.S. (Applied Mathematics, 1973) and Ph.D (Applied Physics, 1975). Dr. Giri has taught in the Dept. of EECS, University of California, Berkeley campus and is presently a selfemployed consultant as Pro-Tech, in Alamo, CA, doing R&D work for U.S. Government and Industry. Dr. Giri was a Resident Research Associate for the National Research Council at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, (1975-77). Dr. Giri is a senior member of the IEEE Society of Antennas and Propagation, a Charter member of the Electromagnetics Society, and Associate member of Commission B, URSI and member of Commission E, URSI. He has served as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility. He is an EMP Fellow of Summa Foundation in 1994 for his contribution to EMP simulator design HPM antenna design. He has published two books, one book chapter and over a hundred papers, reports etc. He is also a recipient of the John Kraus Award from the IEEE for 2006.