Possibilities of forming a plasma antenna by laser radiation in an aerosol atmosphere

Abstract

A possibility of designing an adaptive plasma antenna for satellite communications is discussed. The feasibility of dynamically tuning the plasma antenna parameters is evaluated. The laser radiation intensity required to create a long plasma channel in an aerosol with an electron density of 10¹⁰–10¹⁷ cm^–3 is estimated. It is shown that the high-frequency electric current through the ionized channel or dielectric rod is localized in the peripheral region. Therefore, it is proposed to use the plasma formation rather than the dielectric in the rod antenna to excite the HE₁₁ surface wave. The simulations in CST Studio Suite 2022 show that as the plasma channel length increases from 0.1 to 8 m, the antenna beamwidth narrows from 70 to 20°, remaining unchanged with a further increase in the plasma channel length.