Microwave antenna based on a pulsed plasma jet

The results of experimental studies of a microwave antenna based on plasma jet created by a pulsed discharge in a capillary with an ablative wall are presented. It is shown that the electromagnetic parameters of the plasma jet are close to metal, which enables its efficient operation in the mode of an asymmetric quarterwave dipole for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves in the centimeter–decimeter range. The influence of the discharge parameters, the flow regimes of the plasma jet (subsonic and supersonic), and various impact factors (high-speed gas flow, a source of low-temperature plasma with ne ~ 1012 cm–3, etc.) on the receiving and transmitting operating modes have been studied. The possibility of using a plasma jet for radio communication of hypersonic flying vehicles and related problems is discussed.