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Maxwell2D: Dish antenna

Dielectric constant distribution

This animation illustrates a parabolic dish antenna, which converts the spherical wave from a simple feed horn into a plane wave. The very high refractive index of the curved metal surface acts as a near-perfect reflector. Weather radars use this kind of antenna. There is some inteference of the outgoing plane wave with the feedhorn, a problem that is overcome with an Offset dish antenna.
Wikipedia link: Parabolic antenna

Electric field animation

Time-averaged Poynting vector

This is an animation of the component of the electric field out of the plane of the page.The direction in which energy is travelling at any instant is proportional to the cross product of the electric and magnetic fields, known as the Poynting vector. The arrows show the direction of the Poynting vector averaged over the simulation, while the colours show its strength.