Vahraz Jamnejad

A satellite-tracking K- and K/sub a/-band mobile vehicle antenna system

This paper describes the development of the K- and K/sub a/-band, satellite-tracking mobile-vehicular antenna system for NASAs ACTS Mobile Terminal (AMT) project. ACTS is NASAs Advanced Communications Technology Satellite, which will be launched into its geostationary orbit in September 1993. The AMT task will make the first experimental use of the satellite soon after the satellite is operational, to demonstrate mobile communications via the satellite from a van on the road. The AMT antenna system consists of a mechanically steered small reflector antenna that uses a shared aperture for both frequency bands and fits under a radome of 23 cm diameter and 10 cm height, and an antenna controller that tracks the satellite as the vehicle moves about. The RF and mechanical characteristics of the antenna and the antenna tracking control system are discussed. Laboratory measurements of the antenna performance are presented. >

Refraction at a Curved Dielectric Interface: Geometrical Optics Solution

The transmission of a spherical or plane wave through an arbitrarily curved dielectric interface is solved by the geometrical optics theory. The transmitted field is proportional to the product of the conventional Fresnels transmission coefficient and a divergence factor (DF), which describes the cross-sectional variation (convergence or divergence) of a ray pencil as the latter propagates in the transmitted region. The factor DF depends on the incident wavefront, the curvatures of the interface, and the relative indices of the two media. We give explicit matrix formulas for calculating DF, illustrate its physical significance via examples.

Modeling three-dimensional scatterers using a coupled finite element-integral equation formulation

Finite-element modeling has proven useful for accurately simulating scattered or radiated fields from complex three-dimensional objects whose geometry varies on the scale of a fraction of a wavelength. To practically compute a solution to exterior problems, the domain must be truncated at some finite surface where the Sommerfeld radiation condition is enforced, either approximately or exactly. This paper outlines a method that couples three-dimensional finite-element solutions interior to a bounding surface with an efficient integral equation solution that exactly enforces the Sommerfeld radiation condition. The general formulation and the main features of the discretized problem are first briefly outlined. Results for far and near fields are presented for geometries where an analytic solution exists and compared with exact solutions to establish the accuracy of the model. Results are also presented for objects that do not allow an analytic solution, and are compared with other calculations and/or measurements.

Array antennas for JPL/NASA Deep Space Network

Recently, JPL has begun an assessment of the long-term capability of the antennas for the Deep Space Network (DSN). Various alternative plans for upgrading or replacing the present 70-meter antennas have been considered. Several options have been studied which include modifying the present antennas for extended life and reliability, new 70-meter single aperture antennas with offset or symmetric feeds, 100-meter spherical antennas, an array of a few smaller 34-meter antennas, a much larger array (hundreds) of much smaller (5-10 meter) reflector antennas, and finally active planar phased arrays with millions of elements. In this paper we briefly discuss various options but focus on the feasibility of the phased arrays as a viable option for this application. Of particular concern and consideration will be the cost, reliability, and performance compared to the present 70-meter antenna system. Many alternative phased arrays including planar horizontal arrays, hybrid mechanically/electronically steered arrays, phased array of mechanically steered reflectors, multi-faceted planar arrays, phased array-fed lens antennas, and planar reflect-arrays are compared and their viability is assessed.

Modeling radiation with an efficient hybrid finite-element integral-equation waveguide mode-matching technique

A method is presented to model electromagnetic radiation, combining the finite-element technique in the penetrating portion of a three-dimensional (3-D) radiating structure with an integral equation on the outer surface of the computational domain, and with a waveguide mode-matching technique on a cross section of the feeding waveguide. The antenna can be of general shape, provided a portion of the surrounding medium up to a surface of revolution is chosen as part of the computational domain. This truncation scheme and the accurate source representation are more general than those existing in the literature for radiation modeling. An open-ended waveguide and a waveguide with a choke ring are analyzed and their radiation patterns are obtained and compared with available measurements.

A microstrip array feed for land mobile satellite reflector antennas

A circularly polarized feed array for a spacecraft reflector antenna is described that was constructed by using linearly polarized microstrip elements. The array has seven subarrays which form a single cluster as part of a large overlapping cluster reflector feed array. Each of the seven subarrays consists of four linearly polarized microstrip elements. The array achieved a better than 0.8-dB axial ratio at the array pattern peak and better then 3 dB antenna gain to 20 degrees from the peak, across a 7.5% frequency bandwidth. A teardrop-shaped feed probe was used to achieve wideband input impedance matching for the relatively thick microstrip substrate. The low impedance and axial ratio bandwidths were achieved using a relatively thick honeycomb substrate with the impedance-matching feed probes. >

Electromagnetic modeling and analysis of wireless communication antennas

The goal of this article is threefold: to present the basic principles of the application of method of moments (MoM), finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and finite-element method (FEM) to analysis of antennas; to present examples of antenna simulations that show the capabilities of some modern commercially available simulators; to discuss future trends in modeling and analysis of microwave and millimeter-wave antennas for wireless communications.

Adaptive acquisition and tracking for deep space array feed antennas

The use of radial basis function (RBF) networks and least squares algorithms for acquisition and fine tracking of NASAs 70-m-deep space network antennas is described and evaluated. We demonstrate that such a network, trained using the computationally efficient orthogonal least squares algorithm and working in conjunction with an array feed compensation system, can point a 70-m-deep space antenna with root mean square (rms) errors of 0.1-0.5 millidegrees (mdeg) under a wide range of signal-to-noise ratios and antenna elevations. This pointing accuracy is significantly better than the 0.8 mdeg benchmark for communications at Ka-band frequencies (32 GHz). Continuous adaptation strategies for the RBF network were also implemented to compensate for antenna aging, thermal gradients, and other factors leading to time-varying changes in the antenna structure, resulting in dramatic improvements in system performance. The systems described here are currently in testing phases at NASAs Goldstone Deep Space Network (DSN) and were evaluated using Ka-band telemetry from the Cassini spacecraft.

THE APPLICATION OF SCALABLE DISTRIBUTED MEMORY COMPUTERS TO THE FINITE ELEMENT MODELING OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SCATTERING

Large-scale parallel computation can be an enabling resource in many areas of engineering and science if the parallel simulation algorithm attains an appreciable fraction of the machine peak performance, and if undue cost in porting the code or in developing the code for the parallel machine is not incurred. The issue of code parallelization is especially significant when considering unstructured mesh simulations. The unstructured mesh models considered in this paper result from a finite element simulation of electromagnetic fields scattered from geometrically complex objects (either penetrable or impenetrable.) The unstructured mesh must be distributed among the processors, as must the resultant sparse system of linear equations. Since a distributed memory architecture does not allow direct access to the irregularly distributed unstructured mesh and sparse matrix data, partitioning algorithms not needed in the sequential software have traditionally been used to efficiently spread the data among the processors. This paper presents a new method for simulating electromagnetic fields scattered from complex objects; namely, an unstructured finite element code that does not use traditional mesh partitioning algorithms.

Uplink array concept demonstration with the EPOXI spacecraft

Uplink array technology is currently being developed for NASAs Deep Space Network (DSN), to provide greater range and data throughput for future NASA missions, including manned missions to Mars and exploratory missions to the outer planets, the Kuiper belt, and beyond. The DSN uplink arrays employ N microwave antennas transmitting at X-band to produce signals that add coherently at the spacecraft, thereby providing a power gain of N2 over a single antenna. This gain can be traded off directly for N2 higher data rate at a given distance such as Mars, providing for example HD quality video broadcast from earth to a future manned mission, or it can provide a given data-rate for commands and software uploads at a distance N times greater than possible with a single antenna. The uplink arraying concept has been recently demonstrated using the three operational 34-meter antennas of the Apollo complex at Goldstone, CA, which transmitted arrayed signals to the EPOXI spacecraft. Both two-element and three-element uplink arrays were configured, and the theoretical array gains of 6 dB and 9.5 dB, respectively, were demonstrated experimentally. This required initial phasing of the array elements, the generation of accurate frequency predicts to maintain phase from each antenna despite relative velocity components due to earth-rotation and spacecraft trajectory, and monitoring of the ground system phase for possible drifts caused by thermal effects over the 16 km fiber-optic signal distribution network. This paper provides a description of the equipment and techniques used to demonstrate the uplink arraying concept in a relevant operational environment. Data collected from the EPOXI spacecraft was analyzed to verify array calibration, array gain, and system stability over the entire 5 hour duration of this experiment.