A hybrid approach to the synthesis of reconfigurable sparse circular arrays

The synthesis of sparse reconfigurable arrays is a challenging task. In this contribution we focus in particular on sparse circular arrays, i.e. arrays whose elements are arranged in rings, and we propose a synthesis method capable to provide a layout tailored to the radiation of beams with two different beamwidths. The synthesis method is based on a hybrid approach, that exploits at best the partial convexity of the synthesis problem in order. Numerical examples showing the feasibility of the approach for satellite applications are provided.