Radiation patterns from a slotted cylinder surrounded by a plasma sheath

A slotted cylinder microwave antenna, surrounded by a thin plasma sheath that is located an arbitrary separation distance from the cylinder, is examined both theoretically and experimentally. Results are presented to demonstrate the effects of electron density, collision frequency, and separation distance on the antenna patterns. A grid of wires is used to simulate the thin plasma sheath in the experimental investigation. Experimental results obtained in this way verify the agreement between theory and experiment.