Plasma Antenna: Experimental Studies on Plasma Antennas

Recently, there has been a revival of interest in plasma antennas because of their potential advantage over the conventional antennas. Hence experiments are aimed at investigating the antenna properties of a reconfigurable plasma antenna. Plasma column is excited by surface wave, which acts as a plasma antenna. Antenna parameters of plasma antenna and equivalent metallic copper antenna are studied. By changing the operating parameters a single plasma antenna (plasma column) can be transformed into multiple antenna elements (striations), which can be treated as a phased array broadside vertical plasma antenna. In addition, physical and antenna properties of reconfigurable plasma antenna can be controlled by operating parameters. Moreover wireless communication capability of this plasma antenna is tested. Striations have always been a subject of academic interest to scientists. Therefore, the studies of striations in surface wave produced plasmas has been extensively done both from experimental as well as theoretical points of view. This book invokes applications of pattern formation or striations of plasmas in plasma antenna technology.