An analysis of the elliptical reflector

The distribution of the electromagnetic fields diffracted by an elliptical reflector which is fed by a line source at or near one of its two foci is studied. For the elliptic cylinder the magnitude of the fields near the foci, the size of the focal region, the displacement of the focal spot as a function of the source displacement, and the application of the method of stationary phase in calculating the fields at points distant from either focus are calculated. Explicit results are presented for the fields as a function of the eccentricity of the ellipse and the angles subtended by the reflector edges.