CHAPTER 3: RADIATION INTEGRALS AND AUXILIARY POTENTIAL FUNCTIONS

3.1: INTRODUCTION:
While it is possible to determine the E and H fields directly from the source-current densities J and M, as
shown in Figure 3.1, it is usually much simpler to find the auxiliary potential functions first and then
determine the E and H. This two-step procedure is also shown in Figure 3.1.

The vector Hertz potential e is analogous to A and h is analogous to F.

The two-step procedure is much simpler. The most difficult operation in the two-step procedure is the
integration to determine A and F.

The integration required to determine the potential functions is restricted over the bounds of the
sources J and M. This will result in the A and F (or e and h) to be functions of the observation point
coordinates; the differentiation to determine E and H must be done in terms of the observation point
coordinates.

3.2: THE VECTOR POTENTIAL A FOR AN ELECTRIC CURRENT SOURCE J:

The vector potential A is useful in solving for the EM field generated by a given harmonic electric current
J. The magnetic flux B is always solenoidal; that is, B = 0. Thus, we define:

Or:

where subscript A indicates the field due to the A potential.

After (3-3), (3-4), (3-5), (3-6), and (3-7) we get:

Where the scalar function e represents an arbitrary electric scalar potential, which is a function of
position.

Taking the curl of both sides of (3-2) and using the vector identity (3-8) gives us (3-8a) which reduces to
(3-9) in a homogenous medium. Pairing (3-9) and Maxwells equation (3-10) gives (3-11).

Substituting (3-7a) into (3-11) reduces it to (3-12):

Where k2 = 2.

In order to simplify (3-12) define the divergence of A, let:

which is known as the Lorentz condition. Substituting (3-13) into (3-12) leads to:

In addition, (3-7a) reduces to:

Once A is known, HA can be found from (3-2a) and EA from (3-15). EA can just as easily be found from
Maxwells equation (3-10) with J = 0. It will be shown later how to find A in terms of the current density
J. It will be a solution to the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation of (3-14).

3.3: THE VECTOR POTENTIAL F FOR A MAGNETIC CURRENT SOURCE M:

Although magnetic currents appear to be physically unrealizable, equivalent magnetic currents arise
when we use the volume or the surface equivalence theorems.
The fields generated by a harmonic magnetic current in a homogeneous region, with J = 0 but M 0,
must satisfy D = 0. Therefore, EF can be expressed as the curl of the vector potential F by:

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Substituting (3-16) into Maxwells curl equation (3-17), reduces it to (3-18). And from the vector identity
in (3-6) it follows that:

where m represents an arbitrary magnetic scalar potential which is a function of position.

Taking the curl of (3-16) you get (3-20) and equating (3-20) to Maxwells equation (3-21) leads to (3-22).

Substituting (3-19) into (3-22) reduces it to (3-23) ( this equation has k).

By letting/defining (3-24) reduces (3-23) to (3-25):

and (3-19) reduces to:

Once F is known, EF can be found from (3-16) and HF from (3-26) or (3-21) with M = 0. It will be
shown later how to find F once M is known. It will be a solution to the inhomogeneous Helmholtz
equation of (3-25).

3.4: ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS FOR ELECTRIC (J) AND MAGNETIC (M) CURRENT SOURCES
In the previous two sections we have developed equations that can be used to find the electric and
magnetic fields generated by an electric current source J and a magnetic current source M. The
procedure requires that the auxiliary potential functions A and F generated, respectively, by J and M are
found first.
In turn, the corresponding electric and magnetic fields are then determined (EA HA due to A and EF HF
due to F). The total fields are then obtained by the superposition of the individual fields due to A and F (J
and M).

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In summary form, the procedure that can be used to find the fields is as follows:

Summary
1. Specify J and M (electric and magnetic current density sources).
2. a. Find A (due to J) using

which is a solution of the inhomogeneous vector wave equation of (3-14).

b. Find F (due to M) using

which is a solution of the inhomogeneous vector wave equation of (3-25). In (3-27) and (3-28), k2 = 2
and R is the distance from any point in the source to the observation point. In a latter section, we will
demonstrate that (3-27) is a solution to (3-14) as (3-28) is to (3-25).

3. a. Find HA using (3-2a) and EA using (3-15). EA can also be found using Maxwells equation
of (3-10) with J = 0.
b. Find EF using (3-16) and HF using (3-26). HF can also be found using Maxwells equation
of (3-21) with M = 0.

4. The total fields are then determined by

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Whether (3-15) or (3-10) is used to find EA and (3-26) or (3-21) to find HF depends largely upon the
problem. In many instances one may be more complex than the other or vice versa. In computing fields
in the far-zone, it will be easier to use (3-15) for EA and (3-26) for HF because, as it will be shown, the
second term in each expression becomes negligible in that region.

3.5: SOLUTION OF THE INHOMOGENEOUS VECTOR POTENTIAL WAVE EQUATION:

If the source is removed from the origin and placed at a position represented by the primed coordinates
(x, y, z), as shown in Figure 3.2(b), (3-48) can be written as

where the primed coordinates represent the source, the unprimed the observation point, and R the
distance from any point on the source to the observation point. In a similar fashion we can show that
the solution of (3-25) is given by

If J and M represent linear densities, (3-49) and (3-50) reduce to surface integrals equations (3-51) and
(3-52).
For electric and magnetic currents Ie and Im, (3-51) and (3-52) reduce to line integrals of the form (3-53)
and (3-54).

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3.6: FAR-FIELD RADIATION:
Neglecting higher order terms of 1rn, the radiated E- and H-fields have only and components.
They can be expressed as

In a similar manner, the far-zone fields due to a magnetic source M (potential F) can be written as

Simply stated, the corresponding far-zone E- and H-field components are orthogonal to each other and
form TEM (to r) mode fields. This is a very useful relation, and it will be adopted in the chapters that
follow for the solution of the far-zone radiated fields. The far-zone (far-field) region for a radiator is
defined in Figures 2.7 and 2.8. Its smallest radial distance is 2D2 where D is the largest dimension of
the radiator.

where =() is the intrinsic impedance of the medium.

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3.7: DUALITY THEOREM:
When two equations that describe the behavior of two different variables are of the same mathematical
form, their solutions will also be identical. The variables in the two equations that occupy identical
positions are known as dual quantities and a solution of one can be formed by a systematic interchange
of symbols to the other. This concept is known as the duality theorem.

Comparing Equations (3-2a), (3-3), (3-10), (3-14), and (3-15) to (3-16), (3-17), (3-21), (3-25), and (3-26),
respectively, it is evident that they are to each other dual equations and their variables dual quantities.
Thus knowing the solutions to one set (i.e., J 0, M = 0), the solution to the other set (J = 0, M 0)
can be formed by a proper interchange of quantities. The dual equations and their dual quantities are
listed, respectively in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 for electric and magnetic sources. Duality only serves as a guide
to form mathematical solutions. It can be used in an abstract manner to explain the motion of magnetic
charges giving rise to magnetic currents, when compared to their dual quantities of moving electric
charges creating electric currents. It must, however, be emphasized that this is purely mathematical in
nature since it is known, as of today, that there are no magnetic charges or currents in nature.