s c a t t e r i n g . The antenna designer must then e v a l u a t e radome s c a t t e r i n g l e v e l s s o a s t o completely determine t h e parameters of a c o s t -e f f e c t i v e antenna t h a t meets t h e low s i d e l o b e requirement of t h e o v e r a l l system. Furthermore, s i n c e rigorous antenna measurements on t h e radome-enclosed antenna a r e d i f f i c u l t t o perform, t h e a n a l y s i s of t h e radome's e f f e c t on antenna p a t t e r n s may be t h e only p r a c t i c a l method of determining t h e radome's i n f l u e n c e . Thus, t h e r e is a need f o r t h e development and v a l i d a t i o n of a c c u r a t e radome s c a t t e r i n g numerical codes. Accurate computer models of antenna and radome subsystems have been developed 113 and can be used t o p r e d i c t t h e performance of a weather radar antenna i n s i d e a radome. Based on parameters measured during radome panel and seam/joint t e s t s 123, t h e radome e f f e c t s on t h e antenna mainlobe and s i d e l o b e s can be c a l c u l a t e d . The e f f e c t s t h a t can be simulated include s i d e l o b e l e v e l e r r o r , c r o s s -p o l a r i z a t i o n r a t i o , and transmission loss. Here we present t h e r e s u l t s of an a n a l y s i s of t h e performance of a Raytheon weather antenna i n s i d e a p r o t e c t i v e radome. These computer c a l c u l a t i o n s a r e based on e x i s t i n g Raytheon programs t h a t s i m u l a t e radome panel i n s e r t i o n e f f e c t s and seam s c a t t e r i n g of an antenna l o c a t e d within a radome s t r u c t u r e . These c a l c u l a t i o n s a r e compared t o measured weather antenna system r a d i a t i o n p a t t e r n s and shown t o be c o n s i s t e n t . These r e s u l t s show t h e v a l i d i t y of using t h i s methodology t o p r e d i c t radome e f f e c t s on antenna o p e r a t i o n . The numerical radome s i m u l a t i o n employs a r i g o r o u s method t o compute t h e radome seam s c a t t e r i n g p a t t e r n , which i s obtained by summing up a l l s c a t t e r i n g c o n t r i b u t i o n s from t h e illuminated radome seams. This simulation program t a k e s i n t o account t h e measured induced f i e l d r a t i o (IFR), t h e physical blockage of t h e radome seams, t h e radome geometry, and t h e seam angular p o s i t i o n s . Each illuminated seam r e -r a d i a t e s a s 2 long s l o t and i s weighted by t h e a p e r t u r e i l l u m i n a t i o n f u n c t i o n , i t s e f f e c t i v e IFR and its a x i a l o r i e n t a t i o n r e l a t i v e t o t h e antenna p o l a r i z a t i o n . Since t h e
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