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Virginia Tech

Testing the Re-designed SuperDARN HF Radar and Modeling of a Twin Terminated Folded Dipole Array

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is an international collaboration of researchers interested in Earth's near-space plasma environment. This group uses high frequency (HF) radars and backscatter from magnetic field-aligned plasma irregularities to study space weather manifested in the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. Space weather impacts many technological systems including Global Positioning System (GPS), spacecraft orbits, power distribution, surveillance radar, HF communications and transpolar aviation. This thesis explores, in detail, the techniques and challenges of constructing, testing, and operating a newly designed SuperDARN HF radar. In modern times, the use of such frequencies for radar is limited to very specific applications and thus the topics presented are not common place. A new antenna design, the twin terminated folded dipole (TTFD), is analyzed along with the modeling results for several proposed and constructed phased arrays for this design. Finally, an initial radiation pattern measurement for the TTFD is presented and notes on how a similar measurement might be conducted on a TTFD phased array.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2010

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Sterne, Kevin Tyler
Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Ruohoniemi, J. Michael
  • Baker, Joseph B. H.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Ellingson, Steven W.
  • Davis, William A.

Subjects

dc:subject × 7

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-05052010-143335
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32239

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Sterne, Kevin Tyler. Testing the Re-designed SuperDARN HF Radar and Modeling of a Twin Terminated Folded Dipole Array. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32239