A method is given to calculate the shape a high-altitude reflector must have to produce any intensity distribution inside the illuminated ground area. The method consists of setting up and solving a differential equation appropriate to the required ground intensity distribution. Cylindrical and spherical mirrors are discussed in detail, and mirror shapes for producing a particular type of uniform ground illumination are derived. These shapes approach paraboloids in the limit when the mirror altitude is much greater than the diameter of the illuminated area.
Ground Radiation Pattern Generated by High-Altitude Reflectors
IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems ; AES-21 , 3 ; 331-337
1985-05-01
1388072 byte
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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British Library Conference Proceedings | 2018
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