The Paraboloid Mirror

Abstract

Antenna designers have investigated paraboloidal reflectors intensively and are using focusing and diffraction characteristics of this mirror which are generally not used by optical workers. The authors summarize principal modes of employing paraboloids for transmitting and receiving radio waves and compare methods of design and analysis with optical usage. In particular, the focal region properties for small f-number reflectors are discussed including asymmetric sections which can be scanned advantageously by source motion.