841 Metal, Plasma, and Metamaterial Antennas with Applications to Radar, Ordnance Mine Detection, and Cell Towers

The technologies of plasma, metamaterial, and plasma metamaterial antennas will be compared to the technology of metal antennas. Plasma antennas are not just another antenna. They have applications in telecommunications, 5G, RADAR, GPS, plasma antennas operating at 222 nm for the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses that cause pandemics, plasma antennas operating at 95 GHz to non-lethally stop shooters, atmospheric plasma antennas operating from aircraft to create ion beams that cause raindrop coalescence and hence rain to mitigate the world wide drought problem and to extinguish forest fires. Plasma antenna coils in MRI machines give better imaging than standard MRI machines that use metal coils. Plasma gradient coils used in an MRI machine can eliminate the banging noise that many people do not like. Plasma coils used in an MRI/ PET machine can make it easier to find tumors. Since x-rays and gamma rays do not get attenuated through plasma coils whereas they do through metal coils. Applications of artificial intelligence will be discussed.

The course content will consist of metal, plasma, antennas,  metamaterial, and plasma metamaterial antennas, frequency selective surfaces, and waveguides. The industrial applications are Radar, ordnance mine detection,  co-site Interference, various antennas, and cell towers. Applications of Artificial Intelligence will be discussed.

Courses 840 and 842 are not prerequisites for Course 841. All three of these courses are stand alone.

An undergraduate course in electromagnetic theory is essential but it will be reviewed. No background in antennas or plasma physics is required. Basic electromagnetics, antenna theory, and plasma physics will be taught.