Input impedance, radiation pattern, and radar cross section of spiral antennas using FDTD

A finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) analysis of spiral antennas is performed to calculate input impedance, antenna gain, and scattering. A semicircular spiral mounted on a dielectric substrate was simulated for computing the input impedance versus frequency. The gain and scattering computations were performed on a square Archimedean spiral mounted in a ground plane with a cavity backing. Total-field FDTD calculations are used to compute the impedance and gain patterns, while a specially modified scattered-field approach for aperture antennas in infinite ground planes is used for the scattering results. Comparisons are made with published impedance measurements and gain and scattering calculations done with a finite element method. Good results were obtained for impedance, radiation, and scattering