An antenna is a tool that sends or accepts electromagnetic waves. It changes electromagnetic waves into electric currents, and electric currents to electromagnetic waves. Antennas are being used to receive and send waves from the air rate of recurrence of the electromagnetic spectrum. Antennas are used in radio and tv broadcasting, spacecraft communication, point-to-point radio communication like walkie-talkie system, palm phones, radar, and wireless LAN.
An antenna is a setup of one or even more electrical conductors, also called elements. Within the transmission of the antenna, a voltage is applied at the antenna terminals to create an alternating electric current (A. C) in the elements, thus leading to the elements to create an electromagnetic field as an effect. In reception, the opposite happens: an electromagnetic influx from an exterior source induces an alternating electric current in the elements and a matching voltage at the antenna's terminals. Some getting antennas use shaped reflective floors to collect the air waves reaching them and immediate or concentrate them onto the elements.
Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) built some of the first primitive antennas in 1888 in his experiments to confirm that electromagnetic waves exist as inferred by the Adam Clerk Maxwell's theory. Among the antennas he built was the dipole antenna, which is explained in detail in the Promoting Theory section of this report. He released his work and assembly design in Annalen der Physik und Chemie (vol. 36, 1889).
In 1919, J Hettinger was awarded a patent for the concept of a plasma antenna. A plasma antenna is a type of antenna that happens to be in development where plasma is employed to replace the metal elements of a normal antenna. A plasma antenna can be utilized for transmission and reception, exactly like normal radio antennas. Plasma antennas have only become useful lately, where high speed internet connection can be an important necessity to all.
Currently, Plasma Antennas (a firm) in Winchester of the United Kingdoms are suffering from a plasma antenna that they known as Plasma Silicon Antenna or PSiAN.
FINDINGS
2. 1 - Helping THEORY
2. 1. 1 ANTENNA
Here can be an explanation of how a traditional antenna works. You will find various kinds of antennas that have been created by humans through the years but also for simplicity's sake, the reason here will summarize how a dipole antenna works. A dipole antenna can be an antenna that may be built using a simple cable with a motivated element in the centre. It involves two metal conductors of rod or wire, arranged parallel and consistent with each other, with a small space between them. The radio regularity voltage is applied to the driven component at the center, between your two conductors. These antennas are the most primitive useful antennas. They are being used usually in traditional "rabbit ears" tv antennas.
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How the antenna transmits signs:
First, a voltage is applied to the antenna terminal (in cases like this, the driven factor at the heart) to make a potential difference in between the opposite ends of the two conducting wires. When a potential difference is accessible, you will see a stream of electrons, which in turn produces a current. Say that the electrons from end A are moving towards end B at maximum speed. When they reach end B, they will stop instantaneously. End B is currently negatively priced whereas end A is positively incurred. The electrons are attracted to the positive charges at end A and move back towards A at maximum acceleration. Now, the charges at both ends are reversed. This backwards and forwards movements of the electrons produces an alternating current in the conducting cables. When there can be an alternating electric current in the metal conductors, electromagnetic waves are produced. These waves are the signals being sent by the antenna.
How the antenna will get signals:
On the other hands, the complete process is reversed for the antenna to receive alerts. Electromagnetic waves from an external source reach the conducting wire connections. The electromagnetic field is lower by the performing wires, causing an alternating electric current to move in the conducting wires. Consequently, when there is a current streaming in the wire connections, a voltage will exist too. The antenna obtains the alternating electric current as its transmission.
2. 1. 2 PLASMA
Contrary to popular perception, there are four says of matter around: sturdy, liquid, gas and plasma. Plasma has fields, charged particles like ions and electrons, and also natural debris. Plasma is capable of executing electricity and producing magnetic domains.
2. 1. 3 PLASMA ANTENNA
In the plasma antenna, the original material conductor of the standard antenna is replaced with plasma. This technology employs the electro-mechanical conductivity of the element, plasma, to execute the electrical power currents and so create the electromagnetic waves necessary to transmit the indication. You will find two types of plasma antennas, the gas antenna and the semi-conductor antenna.
The gas antenna is an antenna with ionised gas enclosed in a pipe as the conductor. A broad assortment of gases may be used to produce the plasma, such as Group 18 elements like neon, argon, xenon, krypton and other gases like mercury vapour and helium. Once the gases are ionised, they'll be a composition of positive ions and electrons, which gives us with plasma.
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Another kind of plasma antenna is recognized as the semi-conductor antenna. These plasma antennas rely on silicon chips by which electricity is handed though release a a cloud of electrons, which in turn acts as the plasma.
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Silicon chips in the semiconductor antenna
Similar to the way a standard antenna functions, the plasma antenna quite simply transmits and receives alerts the same manner. Both the transmitting and reception operations involve the motion of electrons and the production of electromagnetic waves. The only difference between your normal antenna and the plasma antenna is the doing element. Having said that, the plasma antenna includes more advantages and benefits when compared with the traditional antenna.
2. 2 ANALYSIS
2. 2. 1 BENEFITS OF THE PLASMA ANTENNA
1. Plasma antennas are invisible to radar. Once the plasma antenna is not fired up, radar will find it difficult to detect the antenna. Even if the plasma antenna is turned on, it is invisible to indicators above the plasma occurrence. This makes it hard for the plasma antenna alerts to be intercepted or recognized by anyone other than the intended receiver. Clearly, this particular aspect of the plasma antenna makes it perfect for use by the armed forces to transmit and receive secret instructions and information.
2. The plasma antenna allows for extremely short pulses, unlike a standard metal antenna. When electricity is handed down through a steel conductor, an impact known as "ringing" occurs, that can be an extra burst of electricity movement through the conductor for an exceptionally brief while when there is a immediate change of source (like when the pulse is short). This wastes energy and triggers unwanted electromagnetic waves to be produced. Using the plasma antenna, calling is totally removed.
3. Plasma antenna technology permits the design of antennas that are effective, light, and smaller than traditional antennas. Along with the metal conductors substituted with either silicon chips or gas, the plasma antenna is lighter and more lightweight than the material antenna.
4. The plasma antenna is dynamically reconfigurable, which means that the handlers of the antenna can freely change the frequency, gain, polarization, power, directionality and beamwidth of the signal. The implications of this advantage is the fact that instead of requiring multiple normal antennas, we can just use an individual plasma antenna, minimizing cost and saving space.
5. The plasma antenna is capable of transmitting signs at an exceptionally fast speed. Within the plasma semiconductor antenna, by selectively activating certain diodes, the handler is able to concentrate the electromagnetic waves produced into a beam, which journeys faster than a wave.
2. 2. 2 Cons IN THE PLASMA ANTENNA AND SOLUTIONS
1. Relating to a scientist who is involved in the development of the plasma antenna, Ted Handerson, Haleakala R&D, Brookfield, Massachusetts, the semi-conductor version of the plasma antenna is limited to high frequencies, which makes certain applications difficult. For example, Wi-Gig routers operating at 60Ghz cannot penetrate wall space.
Solution: The impulses can be mirrored off surfaces to attain their destination instead. For example, Wi-Gig routers will emit the impulses, that will then reflect off of the physical areas of the wall space to attain the computer or device.
2. The ionizer boosts power consumption. More energy is required to ionize the gases or to make the silicon chips release electrons. Therefore, plasma antennas actually use more electricity than normal antennas.
Solution: Other technology to reduce ability ingestion of plasma antennas can be considered or developed in the foreseeable future. One current example is the Antenna Integrated Radio Solution produced by the partnership between Ericsson and Kathrein-Werke KG. With this design, the antenna is built into the radio unit to cut installation time and power usage greatly. This design gets the potential to be customized such that it works for plasma antennas as well.
3. Plasma volumes must be steady and repeatable. Whenever a gas is ionised, not all 100% of the gas will ionise to be plasma. With silicon chips, it is acceptable to state that the amount of electrons released by the silicon when heated up or charged will change from time to time. Thus it is essential that the quantity of plasma produced each time ought to be the same. The quantity of plasma existing during a transmission or reception should also be the stable and not fluctuate. Only then will the electromagnetic waves transmitted be steady.
Solution: Perhaps one way of handling plasma emission by the ionised gases and silicon chips is always to keep carefully the current flowing through it constant, therefore exciting only a certain amount of particles, and creating a fixed volume of plasma.
2. 2. 3 APPLICATIONS OF THE PLASMA ANTENNA
The plasma antenna has high potential to be used in the military sector, as it is hard to be discovered by radar. This is best for the armed service to send and receive top secret documents or instructions. As impulses radiated by way of a plasma antenna is hard to intercept and therefore hard to be obstructed, the plasma antenna is said to be resistant to electric warfare, a strategy commonly utilized by enemy countries.
Not only that, however the plasma antenna can be utilized in radio and television set broadcasting. The signals emitted by the plasma antenna tend to be more powerful than the alerts emitted by the normal material antenna, thus causing the radio waves to last longer without damping and being extinguished. The result of this implication is that radio broadcasting companies no longer need to make so many relay stations and towers to relay the sign to further areas. Because of this, the parcel can be utilized for professional or residential purposes, or preserved to save character.
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Another market software for the plasma antenna is usually to be installed on boats and submarines. Submarines require stealth to complete the mission of its team, and so getting a plasma antenna would be of great advantage. For fishing ships that want echolocation to locate the positioning of seafood in profound sea, the plasma antenna may also be advantageous. The impulses emitted by the plasma antenna can be adjusted to high rate of recurrence, thus in a position to penetrate miles and a long way of seawater.
One very relevant software of the plasma antenna is within cellular Internet, like Wi-Gig. Wi-Gig provides faster Web connection to users than is provided by Wi-Fi. A faster Internet connection means that users will be more productive and save time. The overall economy of the united states can be upgraded as more work can be carried out in a shorter time. Pursuits like downloading podcasts, videos and music at fast speeds can be carried out even using wireless Internet connection. This is certainly clearly an edge for mobile users.
Another request of the plasma antenna is its role in enhancing public safety systems. Devices like CCTVs around a neighbourhood or city are usually connected in a video recording surveillance network. The unit are used to avoid crimes from taking place, or as video data in court. Obviously, the unit are also important in tracking down bad guys who are escaping. If the devices are malfunctioning or have experienced malevolent harm by terrorists, it's possible for a handler from the public safety division to reroute traffic through backhaul networks using plasma antennas.
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It is also possible that plasma antennas can be utilized in space communication. Plasma antennas which prove to be lighter than normal antennas can provide as communication devices on jet planes, commercial airliners, and even space shuttles. For example, scientists and research workers working at the NASA Glenn Research Centre have submitted and received a patent for a slotted antenna waveguide plasma source.
3. 0 RECOMMENDATIONS
After doing all this research on the plasma antenna, this section will be about my suggestions about how the plasma antenna will benefit Malaysians in particular.
As mentioned before this, the plasma antenna is vital in the development of Wi-Gig, wireless Internet connection faster than the Wi-Fi. In Malaysia, Wi-Fi is really considered very gradual if in comparison to other countries like the united states and Korea. If the Internet providers if our country can update their antennas with plasma antennas, our wireless Web connection will no doubt speed up by 10 times. Malaysians will be able to download their favorite songs and movies while on the move.
The plasma antenna can be used by the TV broadcasting companies of our nation. ASTRO, for example, would certainly improve its service by improving to plasma antennas. Currently, Malaysians complain that whenever it rains, their reception of ASTRO faces problems. Often, they cannot receive a interconnection when the weather is bad. According to ASTRO, the air waves that their satellites emit cannot penetrate through the heavy part of clouds and rain to attain the consumers' home.
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In my estimation, if they turn to plasma antennas, they may use the electromagnetic influx focussing ability of the plasma antenna to send out beams instead of waves. Beams would certainly have higher penetration ability and can permeate through cloud and rainfall to reach the customers' homes.
4. 0 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the plasma antenna works according to the same rules and physics regulations as the normal antenna, with plasma exchanging the steel conductors of the normal antenna. But because the conducting material used is plasma, it affords some advantages over a standard antenna. The most notable good thing about the plasma antenna is the actual fact that it's practically invisible to radar and can release brief pulses of impulses. Therefore, the military of US is currently racing to put into action the plasma antenna to their existing systems.
Also, another advantage of the plasma antenna is the fact that it can pave the way towards faster wireless Internet, which is certainly needed by most users nowadays, whether it be for entertainment or business purposes.
Although the plasma antenna has some down sides, these can be conquer using the problems' individual solutions. Who is aware of, in the foreseeable future somebody may design and make plasma antennas after resolving all cons of the plasma antenna. What is certain though is the actual fact that plasma antennas are commercially viable and are anticipated to enter the marketplace in 2011 or 2012.
Because the production price of plasma antenna is quite low compared to normal antennas, it would be best if Malaysia can create plasma antennas as a way to widen the jobs available.
