Numerical optimization of a cylindrical reflector-in-radome antenna system

Accurate numerical optimization based on the rigorous solution of the integ ral equation using the method of analytical regularization is performed for the cylindrical reflector antenna in a dielectric radome, It is shown that the multiple scattering in this system is more significant for the optimum radome design than any nonplane-wave effects or the curvature of the radom e, We claim that, although the common half-wavelength design is a good appr oximation to avoid negative effects of the radome (such as the loss of the antenna directivity), one can, by carefully playing with the radome thickne ss, its radius, reflector location, and the position of the feed, improve t he reflector-in-radome antenna performance (e.g., increase the directivity) with respect to the same reflector in free-space.