Surface waves generation in Sommerfeld antenna radiolocation problem

The problem of radiation of a vertical thin-wire antenna (active vibrator) located above a flat interface between two dielectric media is studied. Using Sommerfeld’s analytical solution of the point source problem, we derive integral equations of the Pocklington type for the electric current of a vibrator made of a thin metallic wire of finite length. This algorithm allows description of excitation of bulky and surface waves. Particular attention is paid to the problem with the antenna located in the upper half-space, in the air, and when the lower half-space is a dielectric medium with finite conductivity. In the numerical analysis, we demonstrate that an algorithm that numerically estimates the vibrator’s electric current provides accurate and stable results, which have also been tested against COMSOL finite element data. Examples of electromagnetic wave generation by the vertical vibrator for fresh and salted waters are discussed and show a significant surface wave excitation.