FDTD analysis of resistor-loaded bow-tie antennas covered with ferrite-coated conducting cavity for subsurface radar

This paper presents a full-wave analysis of a ground penetrating radar (GPR ) using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The antenna treate d here consists of a resistor-loaded bow-tie antenna, which is covered with a rectangular conducting cavity of which inner walls are coated partially or fully with ferrite absorber, Some techniques are introduced into the FDT D analysis to obtain the accurate results and to save the computer resource s. The validity of the FDTD analysis is confirmed experimentally, Furthermo re, the effects of the ferrite absorber on the GPR characteristics are theo retically investigated in detail. The FDTD results indicate that the remark able improvement of the antenna characteristics for the GPR system cannot b e attained by the ferrite absorber.