COMPUTER METHODS NORTH-HOLLAND

IN APPLIED

MECHANICS

AND ENGINEERING

40 (1983) 121-123

BOOK REVIEW

The Handbook of Antenna Design, Vol. I, A.W. Rudge, K. Milne, A.D. Olver and P. Knight, eds. (IEE, Peter Peregrinus, Stevenage, 1982) g42.00, ISBN o-906042-82-6.

This book is the 15th volume in the IEE Electromagnetic Waves Series, which together with its mate, Vol. 16, constitutes a two volume comprehensive reference book on antennas. Unlike other books in this highly recommended series, this is not a monography dedicated to a single specialized~opic, but rather a concerted effort by many contributors. In addition to the names of the above-mentioned editors, the work has been carried out by Chapter Leaders W.V.T. Rusch, R.J. Mailloux, L.J. Ricardi, J. Bach Anderson and J. Appel-Hansen. The list of contributors contains T.S. Chu, A.R. Dion, J.D. Dyson, E.S. Gillespie, T.G. Hickman, P.A. Jensen, A.W. Love, A.C. Ludwig and W.C. Wong. This is an impressive list which ensures that, whatever we are served here, it has been cooked by the best of chefs. The menu from the publisher reads: Authored by a multi-national group of antenna experts of international standing, these volumes present the principles and applications of antenna design, with emphasis upon key developments in the last I5 years. fundamental background theory and analytical techniques are explained in detail where appropriate, and extensive design data and numerous examples of practical application are included. Dealing with a very wide range of antenna types, operating from very low frequencies to millimeter waves, the handbooks describe new measurement techniques in detail and cover associated topics such as radomes, array signal processing and coaxial components. Design data for antennas for satellite and terrestial communications, radar, mobile communications and broadcasting is also covered. This description covers the two volumes. The first volume considered here is mainly dedicated to antennas associated with the higher frequency ranges such as: radar, microwave communication, satellite antennas, aperture antennas, stripline antennas. Inasmuch as this is a very broad field, we feel that a word or two about our background is in order. We are university educators, active in teaching electromagnetics and related subjects, and have our little research niches somewhere in this field. So, although we are not directly involved in antenna engineering, we also are not complete strangers to the field. In trying to define what this book is, it is easier to start with what it is not. It is not a Handbook in the sense of a Manual, or Vade Mecum, to be carried around in the breast pocket. It is not even a designers Digest, directing the antenna engineer to results of well accepted methods, summarized in graphs and tables. On the other hand, it is not a Textbook in disguise, introducing the novice into the field of antenna theory and design. The closest we can come to describe this book, is to consider it as a compilation of review articles on the various specialized subjects in the realm of antenna engineering. As such it is successfully fulfilling its task, it is a very important contribution, and never mind what the editors decided
0045-7825/83/$3.00 0 1983, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)

122

Book

Review

to call it. AS a review, the book possesses the important feature of not being unnecessarily encumbered by mathematical analysis and formulas. The technical descriptions and the inevitable mathematical parts are well balanced. Graphs and illustrations are helpful and of satisfactory quality (except Fig. 1.26 and the mishap of Eq. 1.39, that should be improved in subsequent editions). Another general comment concerns computer aided design. It is evident that this has been used for many subjects, especially the sections dealing with quasi-optical antennas, lenses, and reflector antennas. No doubt the designer will find many useful hints, but he will be able to use the book in a more direct way only in those few examples where design procedures are given in some detail. The reader is warned not to pass judgement on the book as a whole only by reading the first chapter Basic properties of antennas (59 pages, 26 references). It is not a textbook type introduction, it is not helping the reader by meticulously defining technical terms relevant to the field, and it is not providing a carefully annotated literature review for the field. It assumes that everybody talks the lingua franca of antenna engineering, it is heavily sprinkled with obscure notation and typographical errors, and consequently it is of little use to anybody. An example is Huygen surface on pages 34, 35 (we counted six such terms) and also page 381. Are we still talking about the same Christian Huygens, author of the Trait6 de la Lumiere, published in Leiden, 1690? The fact that Huygen surface is also indexed points to the fact that the proofreading was not done by an antenna specialist. Theory of quasi-optical antennas in the Contents, but The second chapter, entitled becomes Analytical techniques for quasi-optical antennas on page 60, together with the Quasi-optical antenna design and application (in toto 277 pages and 376 third chapter literature citations) could make a separate book. Section 3.8 on low noise antennas, contributed by T.S. Chu is a specially welcomed addition, since this chapter is not usually found in review form in texts. This should assist in Radio Astronomy. Radiometry and related subjects. These two chapters will provide a good starting point for any newcomer to the field. However we have to stress that it is not a design handbook proper. Chapters 4-7 discuss primary feed antennas, hybrid antennas, multiple beam antennas and low and medium gain microwave antennas. Written by different authors, they still preserve some uniformity. All chapters are excellent review articles, with ample literature references. They all succinctly summarize mathematical formulas which therefore means going back to the original papers. is a comprehensive Chapter 8 on antenna measurements (110 pages, 110 references) discussion of the subject. Very practical, but does not shy away from the heavy mathematical machinery of vector spherical harmonics. Most of the important topics on measurement techniques and their systems are reviewed in this chapter. One technique which has been developed relatively recently is merely mentioned, but is not discussed with the detail it deserves in our opinion. The latter technique is the one associated with measuring antenna properties by installing a small modulated scatterer in its field. This method has been treated by R.J. King in Vol. 3 of the present series [l]. It appears useful and saves expensive facilities and should have been treated here as well. The present book is unusually comprehensive and combines the efforts of relatively many contributors. This may have made the task of final editing difficult, and resulted in the relatively many small errors (especially typing errors), which should be corrected in subsequent editions.

Book Review

123

Reference

[l] R.J. King, Microwave homodyne systems, IEE Electromagnetic Peregrinus, Stevenage, 1978) pp. 121-159. Ben-Gurion

Waves Series 3 (IEE, Peter

Dan Censor and Ben-Zion Kaplan University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva