Microstrip array antenna with and without airgap in plasma environment

The present paper explores the important characteristics of an array of 4x4-element planar array of circular patch mi crostrip antenna (CPMA) designed on RT-duroid substrate(£..= 2.32) at 1.155 GHz (L-band) for on-board appli cations in mobile communication through satellite . An airgap is introduced in between the dielectric and the ground plane which improves the bandwidth and maintain the gain of th e antenna geometry. This antenna geometry is studied in presence of plasma environment and the effect of generation of clcctroacoustic waves on the radiation characteristics of the given geometry is determined. For this , a well established linearized hydrodynamic theory and vector wave function technique is used to derive the expression for the field pattern and radiated power by the antenna. The important antenna parameters like radiation conductance, efficiency, directive gain and bandwidth along with radiation patterns arc computed and plotted for both plasma as we ll as for the free space.