Antenna Leakage in gprMax Simulations

[Noushin Khosravi Largani]

Hello,

Thank you for your great software. I have a question regarding the leakage (direct coupling) effect between the transmitting and receiving antennas in gprMax.

When a simulation starts, does the receiving antenna begin recording only after the transmitting antenna has finished radiating, or does it receive the transmitted signal simultaneously with the reflections from the simulated medium (e.g., soil), thereby capturing antenna leakage?

If antenna leakage is present, are there any recommended considerations (such as the separation distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas) that should be taken into account to properly model or mitigate this effect?

Thanks

[Antonis Giannopoulos]

The simulation starts at time zero and all fields in the simulation domain are available from that time at all output points. In essence the output point collects the fields that pass from it from the start.

If you are simulating using theoretical sources that means the response received is the electric field at the point you have specified as a receiver. The field will be stronger or weaker the closer or further you are from the source.

If you are doing 3D simulations including the antenna structures you normally record the field at the receiver antenna gap (feed point). 

gprMax solves Maxwell's equations and it does not mimic the hardware part of a GPR system in terms of turning on or off receiving circuits. 

Hope this helps

Antonis