Optimization of the current integration method for a parabolic reflector antenna

This work centers on the optimization of the current integration method for the determination of the field radiated by a centered parabolic reflector fed at the focus. To this end, by considering the primary field source as enclosed in an oblate spheroid, a nonredundant sampling representation of the physical optics currents, induced on the reflector by the electromagnetic field radiated from the primary field source, is developed. This allows one to reduce the number of points where the knowledge of the currents is required so that the computational time decreases. The advantages are more significant in the case of electrically large reflector antennas, as those used in satellite earth stations or in radio astronomy, and in particular when the field from the primary field source is computationally onerous. Numerical tests assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach.