Determine Optimum Search Strategies for Rapidly and Accurately Locating a Beam Pointing Direction

This research will focus on fast and accurate methods of determining beam pointing direction and polarization of an antenna from limited measurements made in the Fresnel region. Initially the antenna aperture size, amplitude distribution, and its phase center will be assumed to be known. The beam pointing angle with respect to the antenna aperture normal is assumed to be known within 5 degrees. We will investigate an efficient search algorithm to determine the beam pointing direction based on the total power of the signal received by the dual polarized horns. Subsequently the phase of the foot-prints of the antenna beam will be included in the analysis. Methods of compensating for the displacements of phase center and determination of the polarization state of the antenna will also be studied.