Calibration of the RICE RF antennas

We derive a complex transmission equation and present a method of antenna calibration, for purposes of predicting signal shape (i.e. voltage amplitude in the time domain) resulting from broadband electromagnetic waves incident on a receiving antenna. This is applicable for radio frequency detectors in situations where the incident field due to events under investigation is predicted by other models, and sensitivity of the detectors to these events must be determined, as is the case for the RICE (Radio Ice Cherenkov Experiment) detector. The results and techniques presented are of general interest for their simplicity, and ease of implementation. The complex transmission equation presented here is analogous to the Friis Transmission Formula which is familiar in antenna literature. However, the former, unlike the latter, retains phase information required for predicting signal shape in the time domain.