LINEAR WIRE

ANTENNAS
Linear Wire Antennas
Infinitesimal dipole

Small Dipole / Short Dipole

Radiated Power from short dipole

Radiation resistance of short dipole
Infinitesimal dipole
Hertzian dipole
Hertzian dipole is an infinitesimal current
element I dl which does not exist in real life.

OR

Hertzian dipole is a short linear antenna
which, when radiating, is assumed to carry
constant current along its length
For power to get to an antenna it must be connected to a
transmission line.

To prevent standing waves from occurring within the line
and for maximum power transfer, the resistance of the
transmission line must be equal to the resistance of the
antenna.

The antenna resistance is termed radiation resistance.
This is defined as a fictitious resistance which would
dissipate as much power as an antenna in question is
radiating if it were connected to the same transmission
line.

If an antenna is radiating 100 W when drawing a current
of 2 A then its radiation resistance will be 25 ohm. (P=I
2
R).
Antenna resistance
Not all energy absorbed by an antenna is radiated.

Losses can occur within the antenna (imperfect dielectrics,
eddy currents etc), as such antenna efficiency is defined



Rr is the resistance of the antenna

Rl is resistance due to losses
l r
r
input
d transmitte
R R
R
P
P
+
= = q
Antenna resistance
Small Dipole
The length of a short dipole
10 50

< < l
Small Dipole - Current Distribution:

Small Antenna:
Vector Magnetic Potential
A of a small dipole is exactly half of A of an infinitesimal dipole.
Small Antenna:
Electric & Magnetic Fields in Far Field

Directivity of short dipole is the same as those of the
infinitesimal dipole, because the normalized patterns of
both dipoles are the same.
Directivity of
Infinitesimal Dipole and Short Dipole:

Comparison
Infinitesimally Small Dipole

The radiated power



The radiation resistance
Short dipole

The radiated power is
four times less than that
of an infinitesimal dipole


the radiation resistance is
also four times less
compared to that of the
infinitesimal dipole
2
2
80
|
.
|

\
|
=

t
l
R
r
2
2
2
40
o T
I
l
P
|
.
|

\
|
=

t
FAR FIELD APPROXIMATION
FAR FIELD APPROXIMATION
FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE
Current Distribution:
Assumptions: Antenna is center fed.
Current is min at the ends.

Current in a center-fed wire antenna has sinusoidal form with
nulls at the endpoints
I
o
is constant
FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE
Radiated Field:

FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE
Radiated Field:

FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE
Radiated Field:
FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE
Radiated Field:

FINITE LENGTH DIPOLE
Radiated Field:



The full-wavelength dipole antenna is more directional than the shorter
quarter-wavelength dipole antenna.

Larger antenna in general have increased directivity

The 1.5-wavelength dipole pattern is also plotted in Figure 3. Note that
this pattern is maximum at approximately +45 and -45 degrees.

The dipole antenna is symmetric when viewed azimuthally; as a result
the radiation pattern is not a function of the azimuthal angle .
Hence, the dipole antenna is an example of an omnidirectional
antenna.
the E-field only has one vector component and consequently the
fields are linearly polarized.



3D Pattern

Normalized 3d radiation pattern for the 1-wavelength dipole antenna
3D Pattern
Normalized 3D radiation
pattern for the 1.5-
wavelength dipole
antenna