{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/29518"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/29518","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A Near-Zone to Far-Zone Transformation Process Utilizing a Formulated Eigenfunction Expansion of Spheroidal Wave-Harmonics","abstract":"In the field of antenna design and analysis, often the need arises to numerically extrapolate the far-zone performance of a radiating structure from its known (or assumed known) near-zone electromagnetic field. Mathematical processes developed to accomplish such a task are known in the literature as near-zone to far-zone transformations (NZ-FZTs) as well as near-field far-field (NF-FF) transformations. These processes make use of sampled near-zone field quantities along some virtual surface, viz., the transformation surface, that surrounds the radiating structure of interest. Depending upon the application, samples of the required near-zone field quantities are supplied via analytical, empirical, or computational means. Over the years, a number of NZ-FZT processes have been developed to meet the demands of many applications. In short, their differences include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the size and shape of the transformation surface, (2) the required near-zone field quantities and how they are sampled, (3) the computational methodology used, and (4) the imbedding of various application-driven features. Each process has its pros and cons depending upon its specific application as well as the type of radiation structure under consideration. In this dissertation we put forth a new and original NZ-FZT process that allows the transformation surface along which the near-zone is sampled to be spheroidal in shape: namely a prolate or oblate spheroid. Naturally, there are benefits gained in doing so. Our approach uses a formulated eigenfunction expansion of spheroidal wave-harmonics to develop two distinct, yet closely related, NZ-FZT algorithms for each type of spheroidal transformation surface. The process only requires knowledge of the E-field along the transformation surface and does not need the corresponding H-field. Given is a systematic exposition of the formulation, implementation, and verification of the newly developed NZ-FZT process. Accordingly, computer software is developed to implement both NZ-FZT algorithms. In the validation process, analytical and empirical radiation structures serve as computational benchmarks. Numerical models of both benchmark structures are created by integrating the software with a field solver, viz., a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code. Results of these computer models are compared with theoretical and empirical data to provide additional validation.","abstract_html":"In the field of antenna design and analysis, often the need arises to numerically extrapolate the far-zone performance of a radiating structure from its known (or assumed known) near-zone electromagnetic field. Mathematical processes developed to accomplish such a task are known in the literature as near-zone to far-zone transformations (NZ-FZTs) as well as near-field far-field (NF-FF) transformations. These processes make use of sampled near-zone field quantities along some virtual surface, viz., the transformation surface, that surrounds the radiating structure of interest. Depending upon the application, samples of the required near-zone field quantities are supplied via analytical, empirical, or computational means. Over the years, a number of NZ-FZT processes have been developed to meet the demands of many applications. In short, their differences include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the size and shape of the transformation surface, (2) the required near-zone field quantities and how they are sampled, (3) the computational methodology used, and (4) the imbedding of various application-driven features. Each process has its pros and cons depending upon its specific application as well as the type of radiation structure under consideration. In this dissertation we put forth a new and original NZ-FZT process that allows the transformation surface along which the near-zone is sampled to be spheroidal in shape: namely a prolate or oblate spheroid. Naturally, there are benefits gained in doing so. Our approach uses a formulated eigenfunction expansion of spheroidal wave-harmonics to develop two distinct, yet closely related, NZ-FZT algorithms for each type of spheroidal transformation surface. The process only requires knowledge of the E-field along the transformation surface and does not need the corresponding H-field. Given is a systematic exposition of the formulation, implementation, and verification of the newly developed NZ-FZT process. Accordingly, computer software is developed to implement both NZ-FZT algorithms. In the validation process, analytical and empirical radiation structures serve as computational benchmarks. Numerical models of both benchmark structures are created by integrating the software with a field solver, viz., a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code. Results of these computer models are compared with theoretical and empirical data to provide additional validation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ricciardi, Gerald F."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Ph. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Electrical and Computer Engineering","degree_department":"Electrical and Computer Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Stutzman, Warren L."],"committee_members":["Safaai-Jazi, Ahmad","Rossi, John F.","Riad, Sedki Mohamed","Davis, William A."],"year":2000,"date_issued":"2000-09-21","date_published":"2000-09-21","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:35Z","subjects":["FDTD","antennas","eigenfunctions","computational electromagnetics"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-11102000-14250056"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-11102000-14250056","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29518","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Stutzman, Warren L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Safaai-Jazi, Ahmad","Rossi, John F.","Riad, Sedki Mohamed","Davis, William A."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ricciardi, Gerald F."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T20:18:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T20:18:23Z","2001-11-30"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2000-09-21"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. 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Mathematical processes developed to accomplish such a task are known in the literature as near-zone to far-zone transformations (NZ-FZTs) as well as near-field far-field (NF-FF) transformations. These processes make use of sampled near-zone field quantities along some virtual surface, viz., the transformation surface, that surrounds the radiating structure of interest. Depending upon the application, samples of the required near-zone field quantities are supplied via analytical, empirical, or computational means. Over the years, a number of NZ-FZT processes have been developed to meet the demands of many applications. In short, their differences include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the size and shape of the transformation surface, (2) the required near-zone field quantities and how they are sampled, (3) the computational methodology used, and (4) the imbedding of various application-driven features. Each process has its pros and cons depending upon its specific application as well as the type of radiation structure under consideration. In this dissertation we put forth a new and original NZ-FZT process that allows the transformation surface along which the near-zone is sampled to be spheroidal in shape: namely a prolate or oblate spheroid. Naturally, there are benefits gained in doing so. Our approach uses a formulated eigenfunction expansion of spheroidal wave-harmonics to develop two distinct, yet closely related, NZ-FZT algorithms for each type of spheroidal transformation surface. The process only requires knowledge of the E-field along the transformation surface and does not need the corresponding H-field. Given is a systematic exposition of the formulation, implementation, and verification of the newly developed NZ-FZT process. Accordingly, computer software is developed to implement both NZ-FZT algorithms. In the validation process, analytical and empirical radiation structures serve as computational benchmarks. Numerical models of both benchmark structures are created by integrating the software with a field solver, viz., a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code. Results of these computer models are compared with theoretical and empirical data to provide additional validation."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Near-Zone to Far-Zone Transformation Process Utilizing a Formulated Eigenfunction Expansion of Spheroidal Wave-Harmonics"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Stutzman, Warren L."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Safaai-Jazi, Ahmad","Rossi, John F.","Riad, Sedki Mohamed","Davis, William A."],"dc:contributor.department":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Ricciardi, Gerald F."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T20:18:23Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T20:18:23Z","2001-11-30"],"dc:date.issued":["2000-09-21"],"dc:description.abstract":["In the field of antenna design and analysis, often the need arises to numerically extrapolate the far-zone performance of a radiating structure from its known (or assumed known) near-zone electromagnetic field. Mathematical processes developed to accomplish such a task are known in the literature as near-zone to far-zone transformations (NZ-FZTs) as well as near-field far-field (NF-FF) transformations. These processes make use of sampled near-zone field quantities along some virtual surface, viz., the transformation surface, that surrounds the radiating structure of interest. Depending upon the application, samples of the required near-zone field quantities are supplied via analytical, empirical, or computational means. Over the years, a number of NZ-FZT processes have been developed to meet the demands of many applications. In short, their differences include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the size and shape of the transformation surface, (2) the required near-zone field quantities and how they are sampled, (3) the computational methodology used, and (4) the imbedding of various application-driven features. Each process has its pros and cons depending upon its specific application as well as the type of radiation structure under consideration. In this dissertation we put forth a new and original NZ-FZT process that allows the transformation surface along which the near-zone is sampled to be spheroidal in shape: namely a prolate or oblate spheroid. Naturally, there are benefits gained in doing so. Our approach uses a formulated eigenfunction expansion of spheroidal wave-harmonics to develop two distinct, yet closely related, NZ-FZT algorithms for each type of spheroidal transformation surface. The process only requires knowledge of the E-field along the transformation surface and does not need the corresponding H-field. Given is a systematic exposition of the formulation, implementation, and verification of the newly developed NZ-FZT process. Accordingly, computer software is developed to implement both NZ-FZT algorithms. In the validation process, analytical and empirical radiation structures serve as computational benchmarks. Numerical models of both benchmark structures are created by integrating the software with a field solver, viz., a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code. Results of these computer models are compared with theoretical and empirical data to provide additional validation."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-11102000-14250056"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29518"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["FDTD","antennas","eigenfunctions","computational electromagnetics"],"dc:title":["A Near-Zone to Far-Zone Transformation Process Utilizing a Formulated Eigenfunction Expansion of Spheroidal Wave-Harmonics"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:35Z"}