A reconfigurable plasma antenna

An experiment aimed at investigating the antenna properties of different plasma structures of a plasma column as a reconfigurable plasma antenna, is reported. A 30 cm long plasma column is excited by surface wave, which acts as a plasma antenna. By changing the operating parameters, e. g., working pressure, drive frequency, input power, radius of glass tube, length of plasma column, and argon gas, single plasma antenna (plasma column) can be transformed to multiple small antenna elements (plasma blobs). It is also reported that number, length, and separation between two antenna elements can be controlled by operating parameters. Moreover, experiments are also carried out to study current profile, potential profile, conductivity profile, phase relations, radiation power patterns, etc. of the antenna elements. The effect on directivity with the number of antenna elements is also studied. Findings of the study indicate that entire structure of antenna elements can be treated as a phased array broadside vertical plasma antenna, which produces more directive radiation pattern than the single plasma antenna as well as physical properties and directivity of such antenna can be controlled by operating parameters. The study reveals the advantages of a plasma antenna over the conventional antenna in the sense that different antennas can be formed by tuning the operating parameters. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3318495]