Radiation and Antennas: Dipoles

This lecture covers the concept of ideal antennas, focusing on dipoles. It explains the radiation patterns, directivity, and impedance of wire antennas. The instructor discusses the geometry of dipoles, vector potential, and current distribution, emphasizing the source of radiation. The effective length of a half-wave dipole and its directivity are also explored, along with the concept of image theory for antennas on a ground plane. The lecture concludes with a detailed analysis of the reactance resistance and the effective area of dipoles.