Performance degradation of dielectric radome covered antennas

Performance is evaluated by a method based on the reciprocity theorem. The asymptotic expression for the radome Green's function that allows the characterization of the radome by itself, independently of any specific antenna, is identified. The concept of the modified aperture distribution, which radiating in free space produces the same pattern as the radome-covered antenna, is introduced. It can be used for the design of the radome stratification and for the optimization of the antenna location. On the basis of the formulation of a computer code has been developed that analyzes the degradation induced by radomes with surfaces and dielectric stratifications that can be defined numerically. Theoretical predictions and experimental results are compared.>