The measurement of creeping wave propagation constant on cylinders

A new technique for the measurement and characterisation of creeping wave modes on cylindrical structures is presented. The technique is attractive as it is configured as a simple variant of a conventional antenna far-field pattern measurement and requires only a single azimuth pattern cut to retrieve the propagation constant data. The method is applicable to a wide microwave frequency range - typically <;1GHz to 100GHz. Experimental results are compared to theoretical propagation constant data for creeping wave modes over conducting cylinders of various sizes. Good agreement is demonstrated between theory and measurement.