Telecommunications and Radio Engineering, 69(13):1153-1163 (2010)

FARFIELDZONERANGEOFWAVEGUIDE
OSCILLATORS
N.N.Gorobets,Ye.Ye.vsyannikova,&.V.Shishkova
V.KarazinNationalUniversityofKharkov,
4,SvobodaSq.,Kharkiv,61077,Ukraine

Addressallcorrespondenceto.V.ShishkovaEmail:shishkova@univer.kharkov.ua
The amplitude and phase characteristics of the radiation from an open end of the rectangular
waveguide excited by the fundamental mode 10wave at an arbitrary range from the
oscillating aperture are investigated on the basis of the Hertz potentials method in Kirchhoff
formulation.Thecriteriaforestimationoftheboundaryofthefarzoneofsmallascomparedto
the wavelength waveguide oscillators, for which the classic formula of calculation of the far
zone is inacceptable, are introduced. Investigations of oscillation characteristics are performed
according to the suggested estimation criteria and the farzone boundaries are established for
thewaveguideoscillatorshavingsmallerdimensionsthanthewavelengthinthewaveguide.
KEY WORDS:rectangularwaveguides,microwaves,farzoneboundary,amplitude
andphasecharacteristicsofoscillation

1. INTRODUCTION
Presently, the microwaves are finding broad application not only in radio electronics
but also in medicine, chemical, light and food industries as well as in other spheres of
science and technology. Unlike in the traditional well-studied and thoroughly
developed methods for application of freely propagated electromagnetic waves in radio
communication, radar technology, radio navigation, satellite communication and TV,
in the newly explored spheres of application of microwaves the interaction between an
electromagnetic wave and an object usually occurs in the near-zone of the antenna. In
this case the amplitude and the phase of the components of the electromagnetic field of
propagated wave and, thus, its power depend upon the range on the basis of
complicated particularities. Therefore, in the near-field zone we have no opportunity to
speak of an antenna pattern either upon amplitude, or phase, or polarization
characteristics of the fields. Their determining requires calculation in each separate
point of observation. On the other hand, at the ranges that correspond to the far-field
zone condition [1]
2
2
FZ
R L > , where L is the maximal dimension of the antenna
oscillating aperture, spatial distribution of the normalized to one amplitudes and phases
of the fields is independent upon the range and it describes the spatial antenna pattern
(AP) completely. It is not difficult to notice that the above formula for the far zone
0040-2508/10/$35.00 2010 by Begell House, Inc. 1153
1154 Gorobets, vsyannikova & Shishkova
range is not applicable to oscillators, the dimensions of which are less than the
wavelength [2-4]. This is related to the fact that while determining the far-zone range
in the above-mentioned form it is obtained from the suppositions that at calculation of
the field amplitude in any point of observation it is considered only the distance from
the middle of the antenna to the observation point and at calculation of phases any and
all beams coming out of any point of the oscillating aperture are considered as parallel.
Under these conditions systematic errors made while determining the antenna pattern
and other parameters related thereto as well as the antennas characteristics (directivity
gain, gain ratio and polarization characteristics), do not exceed 510%. In the case
with the antennas having small electric dimensions these conditions appear to be
insufficient due to the fact that L < . That is why the far-zone criteria for such low-
directivity oscillators must be considered as follows:
1. Absence of near reactive fields.
2. Absence of longitudinal components of the electromagnetic field.
3. The phase difference between E

and H

fields must be equal to zero.

4. The ratio between E

and H

must be equal to the free space characteristic

impedance.
5. For the antennas with the phase center the amplitudes of E

and H

components of the field must decrease under the law of R 1 , like in the spherical wave,
depending upon the range .
6. Polarization structure of the field must not depend upon the range.
In the theoretical papers related to electromagnetic radiating systems it is usually
considered that the far-zone range in the investigated case is the range equal to several
(up to 10) wavelengths. The known classical solution on finding of the oscillation field
of short wire antennas lead us to the following conclusions [2]:
1. Directly in the vicinity of the antenna (in the near-zone) the amplitude of the
electric field intensity vector is decreasing upon the law of
3
1 R , that of the magnetic
field of
2
1 R , and the phase difference of the E

and H

transversal components of
the oscillation field is equal to . In this conditions the longitudinal component of
the electric field is present in all directions except for the direction from the normal to
the conductor.
0
90
2. At a somewhat larger range, in the intermediate zone, the amplitudes of the field
components are decreasing upon the law of
2
1 R , and the phase difference of these
components tends to zero with increasing of the range. In the far-zone amplitudes of
the fields are decreasing upon the law of R 1 , the power of
2
1 R , and the phase
difference of the orthogonal and components of the field is equal to zero.
u
E

H
Detailed investigation of wave processes in the near-zone of short (the Hertz
dipole) wire antennas [2,5] demonstrated that the far-zone range of such antennas was
independent upon their length and was equal to 0.5, while for the resonant wire
antennas [6] this range was significantly dependent upon their electric length. In the
case with the resonant wire antennas ( 2 0 L .5 = ) already at very small ranges from
Telecommunications and Radio Engineering
Far-Field Zone Range of Waveguide Oscillators 1155
the antenna it is formed a running wave of the radiation field (the phase difference is
) and the amplitude of the field is decreasing as arg arg 0 E H
u
= 1 R or even
slower. All the conditions of the far zone are performed at the ranges of R > . For the
wire antennas at the frequencies of the resonance of a higher order ( 2 1;1.5; 2... L = )
the condition of the far-zone is well described by the formula
2
2
FZ
R L > [6].
For the practical purposes it is important to know the range of the far-zone of not
only wire oscillators but also for the oscillators in the form of open ends of rectangular
and square waveguides, the dimensions of oscillating aperture of which are less than
the wavelength. The objective of the present paper is to provide for theoretical
investigation of wave processes in the near-zone of waveguide oscillators and to
determine the boundaries of their far-zone of observation.

2. SETTING OF AND SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM
Nowadays the inner problem of electrodynamics of finding the fields inside of the
waveguide is solved analytically for the waveguides with rectangular (square) and
circular cross-section and numerically and analytically in the case with the waveguides
possessing more complex shape of the cross-section. However, the fields of oscillation
from open ends of such waveguides in near and intermediate zones are investigated
insufficiently.
Let us consider the external problem of electrodynamics the problem of finding
the fields in the near and intermediate zones of observation of the oscillator in the form
of an open end of the rectangular shape hollow waveguide excited by the fundamental
mode wave. We relate the oscillating aperture of the waveguide to the rectangular
system of coordinates, at that, we direct the axis oz along the axis of the waveguide.
In a general representation the problem of finding the fields in the near-zone of
aperture oscillators with the known distribution of the field sources and their
polarization characteristics is solved in [7,8]. In this case the transversal components of
the field within the spherical system of coordinates at an arbitrary sufficiently small
range from the oscillator possess the following representation:

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
0
1 1
0 0
2 1 2
cos sin
cos sin
4 2
cos cos
cos sin ;
8 2
x y y
s
s s s s
iW R
E
4
cos sin
x
s s
x y
E E f dS yE f dS
W
i W W i
xE
x y f q dS dS
W W
u
u u

t t
u u

t
| |
= + +
|
\ .
+ + + +
} }

E E
t

+
} }
(1)
( )
( ) ( )
0
1
n cos
x y
E
0 0
2 1 2
cos
sin cos
4 2
sin cos si ;
8 2
x y
s s
s s s s
iW R
E E f dS
W
i W iW
x y f q dS dS
W W

u

t t

t
| |
=
|
\ .

}
} }

E E

(2)
Volume 69, Number 13, 2010
1156 Gorobets, vsyannikova & Shishkova
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
0
1 1 2
0
2 1
4 8
2
R x y x y
s s s
x y
s s
i W cos
E xE yE f dS (sin E cos E sin f
W
iW sin
R sin xcos y sin f q dS E cos E sin dS;
W
u
u
t t
u
u

= + +
+ + + +
} }
}

+
(3)

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1 1
0
0
2 2 2
0
cos sin
sin cos
4 2 4
cos cos
cos sin sin cos ;
8 2
x y x y
s s s s
x y
s s
R i
H E E f dS xE y
W W W
i i
x y f q dS E E dS
W W
u
u u

t t t
u u

t
| |
=
|
\ .
+ + +
} }
} }

E f dS +
(4)

( )
( ) ( )
1
0
2 2 2
0 0
cos
cos sin
4 2
sin cos cos sin ;
8 2
x y
s s
x y
s s
R i
H E E f dS
W W
i i
x y f q dS E E d
W W

u

t t

t
| |
= + +
|
\ .
+ + +
}
} }

S
(5)

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1 1 2
0
2 2
0
cos
(sin cos sin
4 8
sin
sin cos sin sin cos ;
2
R x y y x
s s s
x y
s s
i
H yE xE f dS E E f
W W
i
R x y f q dS E E dS
W
u
u
t t
u
u

= +
+ + ( +

} }
} }

+
(6)

where
exp( ) ikr
r

= , t 2 = k is the wave number,
1 2
1 ikr
f
r
+
= ,
2
2 4 3 2
( )
3 3ik k
f
r r r
= + , ( )
1
s s
x s y s
q E x x E y y = + , and ( ) (
2
s s
)
x s y s
q E y y E x x = .

These expressions are quite bulky and do not allow drawing any conclusions about
the wave processes near the aperture of the waveguide oscillator and about the far zone
range without performing computations in each separate case. The obtained in [9,10]
calculation results for the fields in the near and intermediate zones of the open end of
circular waveguide witness for the fact that the far zone ranges are determined not only
by the electric dimensions of the oscillating aperture but also by the mode of amplitude
distribution of the field.
Let us proceed to consideration of the fields in the near zone of the rectangular and
square waveguides. For the calculations we use the method of the Kirchhoff vectorized
integral according to which the sources in the oscillating aperture are distributed as in
the wave incursive upon the aperture [1]. Distribution of complete amplitudes of the
components of the fields of the wave incident upon the waveguide aperture would
have the following form in the system of coordinates that we have selected:
Telecommunications and Radio Engineering
Far-Field Zone Range of Waveguide Oscillators 1157
; cos
0
b
y
E E
incid
x
t
= (7)

; cos
0
0
b
y
E H
incid
y
t
e

= (8)

; sin
0
0
b
y
E
b i
H
incid
z
t
e
t
= (9)

0 = =
incid
z
incid
y
E E , (10) , 0 =
incid
x
H

where ( )
2
2 1 2 k t = A = b is the propagation constant of the wave in the
waveguide, b is the dimension of the wide wall of the waveguide, a is the same of the
narrow one.
The amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields are determined in the running
wave mode by the power transmitted via the waveguide. In the general case based on
the Umov-Pointing theorem the average in time flux of the active power propagated
through the waveguide aperture towards the axis z, can be calculated at harmonically
varying fields E H upon the known correlation [1]:

| | . Re
2
1
2
2
2
2
0 *
} }

=
a
a
b
b
exc
dxdy z H E P


(11)

Here is the complex conjugated amplitude of the magnetic field intensity.
*
H

Considering for the certainty purpose that =1 W, we assume:

exc
P

,
4
10
0
ab
W
E = (12)

where
( )
2
0 0
10
2
1
b
W
W

= = is the wave impedance of the waveguide.

Using the expressions (1)-(6) and (7)-(12) we can obtain the characteristics of
oscillation in the near-zone throughout the entire space of observation and perform
investigations of the far-zone boundary for the oscillators, the dimensions of which are
less than or commeasurable with the wavelength.
Volume 69, Number 13, 2010
1158 Gorobets, vsyannikova & Shishkova
3. ANALYSIS OF CALCULATION RESULTS
Based on the above methodology there are developed the algorithm and a software
program in Fortran language for calculation of amplitude, phase and polarization
characteristics of oscillation in the entire space of observation without any restrictions
related to oscillation aperture dimensions and the range from the antenna to the point
of observation. It is performed calculation of amplitude and phase characteristics of
oscillation in the near, intermediate and far-zones of oscillation of rectangular
waveguides with various dimensions excited by the basic mode.
10
H
In order to determine the boundary of the far-zone of open ends of rectangular
waveguides having small as compared to the wavelength dimensions it is performed
analysis of the following dependencies: the amplitude of the directivity vector of the
electric field upon the range in the direction to the waveguide axis, ratio of the
amplitudes of transversal components of the electromagnetic field ( )
u
H E W =
normalized to the value of wave impedance of the free space ( )
0
W depending upon the
range from the antenna to the point of observation in the direction to the waveguide
axis; difference in phases of electric and magnetic field components depending upon
the range; dependence of all three components of the field upon angular coordinates at
various ranges from the antenna to the point of observation. The calculations are
performed for the following dimensions of waveguides: 1x1, 0.5x1, 0.1x1,
0.6x0.6, 0.3x0.6, 0.1x0.6.
Figure 1 shows the dependencies of amplitude of the field component AP in
the direction of the main maximum as a function of the range from the antenna to the
point of observation for waveguide oscillators with small electrical dimensions. It is
known [1,7] that in the near-zone of aperture antennas it is observed formation of the
floodlight beam zone the zone in which the field is concentrated close to the normal
to the aperture. Field variation in this domain along the normal to the waveguide
aperture possesses an oscillating mode that is a consequence of the waves interference
phenomenon. As it is evident from Fig. 1 no such picture is observed for small as
compared to the wavelength waveguide oscillators, the zone of oscillations is absent.
u
E
Figure 3 demonstrates the correlations of the difference in the phases of the
electric and the magnetic components of the field depending upon the range for
various dimensions of waveguides. For each dimension of the waveguide it is
determined the range at which the variation of the difference in phases between the
components and the zero value would not exceed 0.5 degrees. Analyzing the
dependences of phase differences between the electric and the magnetic components
component of the field depending upon the range in the direction of the normal to the
waveguide aperture; we can consider that the boundary of the far zone is R ~1.06
(Table 2). Figures 4 and 5 show the dependencies of relative amplitudes of the field
components ( )
max
0 E E
u u
and ( )
max
0 E E

upon the angle u . Having analyzed the
dependencies for different dimensions of the waveguide aperture at various ranges
from the antenna in the planes E and , we have found the ranges, at which the
same pattern shape is established. This is the range
H
R 5 . 1 ~ in the planes E and H
(see Table 3).
Telecommunications and Radio Engineering
Far-Field Zone Range of Waveguide Oscillators 1159

0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
1.3
1.5
1.7
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
R/
W
/
W
0
1x1
0.5x1
0.1x1
0.6x0.6
0.3x0.6
0.1x0.6

0
1000
200
E
u
,

0
3000
4000
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 R/
1x1
0.5x1
0.1x1
0.6x0.6
0.3x0.6
V
/
m

0.1x0.6

FIG. 1: Dependence of the amplitude of the
field component E in the direction of main
maximum of AP as the function of the range
from the antenna to the point of observation
u
FIG. 2: Correlation between the amplitudes
of the electromagnetic field components
( )
u
H E W = normalized to the value of
wave impedance of the free space W
0


ABLE 1: Ranges starting from which
01 . 0 1
0
s W W
TABLE 2: Ranges starting from which
5 . 0 arg arg s
u
H E degrees

b a
fz
R , u =0 degrees

b a fz
R , u =0degrees
1 1 1.16 1 1 0.91
0.5 1 1.06 0.5 1 0.91
0.1 1 1.5 0.1 1 1.06
0.6 0.6 0.31 0.6 0.6 0.51
0.3 0.6 1.06 0.3 0.6 0.56
0.1 0.6 1.21 0.1 0.6 0.66

-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
,

15
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
R/
a
r
g
E
u
-
a
r
g
H
|
d
e
g
r
e
e
s

1x1
0.5x1
0.1x1
0.6x0.6
0.3x0.6
0.1x0.6
H


FIG. 3: Phase difference between the electric and the magnetic component of the field
arg arg E
u
depending upon the range from the antenna to the observation point
Volume 69, Number 13, 2010
1160 Gorobets, vsyannikova & Shishkova
It is known that the fields in the far-zone are transversal. The longitudinal
component of the field
R
E is absent in the far-zone. We analyze the value of the
longitudinal component in order to determine the far zone boundary for small-
dimension waveguide oscillators. Figure 6 shows the dependencies ( )
max
0
R
E E
u
upon
the angle u at different ranges from the antenna aperture. There are considered the
ranges, at which the dependence of ( )
max
0
R
E E
u
upon the angle u at different ranges
from the antenna aperture does not exceed -20 dB and amounts to R=2 (Table 4).


0.3x0.6
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
u
/
E
u
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

R=0.5
R=1
R=1.3
R=1.5
R=1.7
R=2
0.6x0.6
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
u
/
E
u
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

d
B

d
B


a) b)
0.5x1
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
u
/
E
u
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

1x1
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
u
/
E
u
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

c) d)

FIG. 4: Dependence of ( ) 0
max u u
E E as a function of the angle u for the waveguide aperture
dimensions ) 0.3x0.6, b) 0.6x0.6, c) 0.5x1 and d) 1x1 at various ranges from the
antenna within the plane E
d
B

degrees degrees
d
B

degrees degrees
Telecommunications and Radio Engineering
Far-Field Zone Range of Waveguide Oscillators 1161
TABLE 3: The ranges, at which the shape of the antenna pattern is established
b a . E plane . H plane
1 1 R =1.5
0.5 1 R =1.5 R =1.3
0.1 1 R =1 R =1.5
0.6 0.6 R=1.3 R =1.3
0.3 0.6 R =1.3 R =1.3
0.1 0.6 R =1 R =1.3
0.3x0.6
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
0.6x0.6
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
5
-10
-5
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 18
E
|
/
E
|
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

d
B

R=0.5
R=1
R=1.3
R=1.5
R=1.7
R=2
-1
u,
E
|
/
E
|
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

d
B

degrees
0
) b)
0.5x1
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
|
/
E
|
m
a
x
(
0
)
,

1x1
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
degrees
d
B

,

d
B

E
|
/
E
|
m
a
x
(
0
)
degrees

c) d)
degrees
FIG. 5: Dependence of ( ) 0
max
E E upon the angle u for ) 0.3x0.6, b) 0.6x0.6,
c) 0.5x1 and d) 1x1 waveguide aperture dimensions at various ranges from the antenna
within the plane
Volume 69, Number 13, 2010
1162 Gorobets, vsyannikova & Shishkova
R=1
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
R
/
E
m
a
x
,

R=0.5
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
0 30 60 90
1x1
0.5x1
0.1x1
120 150 180
u,
E
R
/
E
m
a
x
,

0.6x0.6
d
B

d
B

0.3x0.6
0.1x0.6
degrees
) b)
R=1.5
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
R
/
E
m
a
x
,

R=2
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
u,
E
R
/
E
m
a
x
,

c) d)
degrees
d
B

d
B

degrees
degrees

FIG. 6: Dependences of ( ) 0
R max
E E
u
upon the angle u at the ranges of ) =0.5,
b) =1, c) =1.5, d) =2 from the antenna aperture
R
R R R


TABLE 4: Ranges starting from which 20
R max
E E
u
s dB
R =0.5 R =1 R =1.3 R =1.5 R =1.7 R =2
R =2.2
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
1x1
----- ----- ----- 0.5x1 0.5x1 0.5x1 0.5x1
----- ----- ----- 0.1x1 0.1x1 0.1x1
0.1x1
----- ----- ----- 0.6x0.6 0.6x0.6 0.6x0.6 0.6x0.6
----- ----- 0.3x0.6 0.3x0.6 0.3x0.6 0.3x0.6
0.3x0.6
----- ----- 0.1x0.6 0.1x0.6 0.1x0.6 0.1x0.6 0.1x0.6

4. CONCLUSIONS
For the small as compared to the wavelength dimensions of radiating apertures of
rectangular and square waveguides the amplitude dependencies in E and planes of
observation are established in a way as they are within the far oscillation zone starting
H
Telecommunications and Radio Engineering
Far-Field Zone Range of Waveguide Oscillators 1163
Volume 69, Number 13, 2010
from the range of R 1.5 > . From the analysis of dependencies of the wave
impedances ratio as the function of the range from the antenna to the
observation point in the direction of the antenna pattern main lobe
0
/ W W
( )
0
0 , 0 u = =
0
the
far zone boundary is positioned at the range of R 1.5 > . This range is determined
using the criterion of
0
1 0.01 W W s . It is obtained that the fields are practically co-
phase starting from the range of R 1.1 > . The correlation ( ) 0
R max
E E
u
does not
exceed the value of -20 dB at the range . 2.0 R >

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