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COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING 40 (1983)
121-123NORTH-HOLLAND
OOK REVIEW
The Handbook of Antenna Design, Vol. I, A.W. Rudge, K. Milne,
A.D. Olver and P. Knight, eds.(IEE, Peter Peregrinus, Stevenage,
1982) g42.00, ISBN o-906042-82-6.
This book is the 15th volume in the IEE Electromagnetic Waves
Series, which together withits mate, Vol. 16, constitutes a two
volume comprehensive reference book on antennas. Unlikeother books
in this highly recommended series, this is not a monography
dedicated to a singlespecialized~opic, but rather a concerted
effort by many contributors. In addition to the namesof the
above-mentioned editors, the work has been carried out by Chapter
Leaders W.V.T.Rusch, R.J. Mailloux, L.J. Ricardi, J. Bach Anderson
and J. Appel-Hansen. The list ofcontributors contains T.S. Chu,
A.R. Dion, J.D. Dyson, E.S. Gillespie, T.G. Hickman, P.A.Jensen,
A.W. Love, A.C. Ludwig and W.C. Wong. This is an impressive list
which ensuresthat, whatever we are served here, it has been cooked
by the best of chefs.
The menu from the publisher reads: Authored by a multi-national
group of antennaexperts of international standing, these volumes
present the principles and applications ofantenna design, with
emphasis upon key developments in the last I5 years.
fundamentalbackground theory and analytical techniques are
explained in detail where appropriate, andextensive design data and
numerous examples of practical application are included.
Dealingwith a very wide range of antenna types, operating from very
low frequencies to millimeterwaves, the handbooks describe new
measurement techniques in detail and cover associatedtopics such as
radomes, array signal processing and coaxial components. Design
data forantennas for satellite and terrestial communications,
radar, mobile communications andbroadcasting is also covered. This
description covers the two volumes. The first volumeconsidered here
is mainly dedicated to antennas associated with the higher
frequency rangessuch as: radar, microwave communication, satellite
antennas, aperture antennas, striplineantennas.
Inasmuch as this is a very broad field, we feel that a word or
two about our background is inorder. We are university educators,
active in teaching electromagnetics and related subjects,and have
our little research niches somewhere in this field. So, although we
are not directlyinvolved in antenna engineering, we also are not
complete strangers to the field.In trying to define what this book
is, it is easier to start with what it is not. It is not aHandbook
in the sense of a Manual, or Vade Mecum, to be carried around in
the breastpocket. It is not even a designers Digest, directing the
antenna engineer to results of wellaccepted methods, summarized in
graphs and tables. On the other hand, it is not a Textbook
indisguise, introducing the novice into the field of antenna theory
and design. The closest wecan come to describe this book, is to
consider it as a compilation of review articles on thevarious
specialized subjects in the realm of antenna engineering. As such
it is successfullyfulfilling its task, it is a very important
contribution, and never mind what the editors decided0045-7825/83/
3.00 0 1983, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)
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22 Book Revi ew
to call it. AS a review, the book possesses the important
feature of not being unnecessarilyencumbered by mathematical
analysis and formulas. The technical descriptions and theinevitable
mathematical parts are well balanced. Graphs and illustrations are
helpful and ofsatisfactory quality (except Fig. 1.26 and the mishap
of Eq. 1.39, that should be improved insubsequent editions).
Another general comment concerns computer aided design. It is
evidentthat this has been used for many subjects, especially the
sections dealing with quasi-opticalantennas, lenses, and reflector
antennas. No doubt the designer will find many useful hints, buthe
will be able to use the book in a more direct way only in those few
examples where designprocedures are given in some detail.
The reader is warned not to pass judgement on the book as a
whole only by reading the firstchapter Basic properties of antennas
(59 pages, 26 references). It is not a textbook typeintroduction,
it is not helping the reader by meticulously defining technical
terms relevant tothe field, and it is not providing a carefully
annotated literature review for the field. It assumesthat everybody
talks the lingua franca of antenna engineering, it is heavily
sprinkled withobscure notation and typographical errors, and
consequently it is of little use to anybody. Anexample is Huygen
surface on pages 34, 35 (we counted six such terms) and also page
381.Are we still talking about the same Christian Huygens, author
of the Trait6 de la Lumiere,published in Leiden, 1690? The fact
that Huygen surface is also indexed points to the factthat the
proofreading was not done by an antenna specialist.
The second chapter, entitled Theory of quasi-optical antennas in
the Contents, butbecomes Analytical techniques for quasi-optical
antennas on page 60, together with thethird chapter Quasi-optical
antenna design and application (in toto 277 pages and 376literature
citations) could make a separate book. Section 3.8 on low noise
antennas, con-tributed by T.S. Chu is a specially welcomed
addition, since this chapter is not usually found inreview form in
texts. This should assist in Radio Astronomy. Radiometry and
related subjects.These two chapters will provide a good starting
point for any newcomer to the field. Howeverwe have to stress that
it is not a design handbook proper.
Chapters 4-7 discuss primary feed antennas, hybrid antennas,
multiple beam antennas andlow and medium gain microwave antennas.
Written by different authors, they still preservesome uniformity.
All chapters are excellent review articles, with ample literature
references.They all succinctly summarize mathematical formulas
which therefore means going back to theoriginal papers.
Chapter 8 on antenna measurements (110 pages, 110 references) is
a comprehensivediscussion of the subject. Very practical, but does
not shy away from the heavy mathematicalmachinery of vector
spherical harmonics. Most of the important topics on
measurementtechniques and their systems are reviewed in this
chapter. One technique which has beendeveloped relatively recently
is merely mentioned, but is not discussed with the detail
itdeserves in our opinion. The latter technique is the one
associated with measuring antennaproperties by installing a small
modulated scatterer in its field. This method has been treatedby
R.J. King in Vol. 3 of the present series [l]. It appears useful
and saves expensive facilitiesand should have been treated here as
well.
The present book is unusually comprehensive and combines the
efforts of relatively manycontributors. This may have made the task
of final editing difficult, and resulted in therelatively many
small errors (especially typing errors), which should be corrected
in sub-sequent editions.
