Measurement of the Offset-Cassegrain Antenna of JEM/SMILES Using a Near-Field Phase-Retrieval Method in the 640-GHz Band

Abstract

This communication describes the results of the measurements made for the flight model of the offset Cassegrain antenna of superconducting submillimeter-wave limb-emission sounder (SMILES) aboard the International Space Station. We have employed a near-field phase retrieval method in which the aperture phase distribution is estimated only from the amplitude distribution measurements over two near-field planes. The far-field patterns estimated from the estimated near-field patterns were compared with theoretical calculations based on physical optics in which the surface errors measured for the main and sub reflectors were taken into account. As a result of the comparison, the far-field patterns estimated from the phase retrieval method were found to be in very good agreement with the physical-optics calculations to the sidelobe levels as low as -55 dB. We have also found that patterns of machined flaws on the surface of the main reflector were clearly identified in the retrieved near-field phase pattern. This demonstrates that the phase retrieval is an effective method to evaluate aperture antennas in the submillimeter-wave region, where accurate phase measurement is rather difficult.