Effects of the Plasma Frequency and the Collision Frequency on the Performance of a Smart Plasma Antenna

Abstract

The plasma frequency and the collision frequency of a smart plasma antenna may influence its performance. But little has been done in this regard so far. In this paper, a model of a smart plasma antenna is founded based on an electromagnetic software, HFSS. Using the model, radiation patterns of the plasma antenna with appropriate parameters are calculated. The results show that the radiation pattern and the maximum gain of the plasma antenna change with its plasma frequency and collision frequency. In order to acquire a similar performance to the metallic antenna with the same configuration, the necessary condition is that the plasma frequency is far more than the angular frequency of the communication signal. Then the collision frequency can change around the angular frequency of the communication signal in a certain range. Moreover, the method presented in this paper provides a valid approach to the design and the optimization of the smart plasma antenna.