Near field of corrugated horns and its influence on dual reflector antenna radiation performance

The existing procedures for calculating the near field of the corrugated horns of dual reflector antennas are briefly reviewed, and their disadvantages are pointed out. A new approach to calculating the near field of circular corrugated feed horns is then discussed with specific reference to a Ku-band offset Gregorian antenna developed for the German Telecommunication Satellite DFS scheduled for launch in 1987. The approach, which is based on a physical-optics solution, is shown to provide an accurate description of the actual radiation characteristics. The effect of the near field on the gain, side-lobe level, and cross-polar performance of the antenna is discussed.