On the gain-versus-scan trade-offs and the phase gradient synthesis for a cylindrical dome antenna

Gain-versus-scan trade-offs for a circular cylindrical dome antenna are considered. A theorem by Stangel [1] is generalized, and it is shown that the scan angle limitations of the feed array and of the dome result in an upper bound on the average dynamic gain (scan dependent gain function) and in an upper bound on the gain in any particular scan direction. For specified scan limits, the former bound is determined essentially by the feed array, the latter by the dome size. These bounds are useful in posing realistic performance requirements for dome antennas and have been verified in a few specific examples. Subsequently, the synthesis problem is addressed; an optimization scheme is employed to arrive at a dome insertion phase distribution that produces a desired gain-versus-scan variation. Illustrative examples are given.