The distribution of current on a cylindrical antenna

The iterative solution of Hallen's integral equation for the current distribution on a lossless dipole transmitting antenna is studied from first principles, and a general solution in terms of an expansion function is derived. In this new solution even the zero-order approximation gives a reasonable representation of both the quadrature and the in-phase current distributions. The choice of an expansion function is discussed. At each stage the approximations which must be made in order to obtain earlier iterative solutions are clearly described. Three low order solutions are derived in detail: the zero-order solution using both a constant expansion parameter and a simple expansion function, and the rst-order solution using a constant expansion parameter. The results are compared and special attention is paid to the very short antenna, although the results are good for lengths up to and including the half-wave dipole. The results are presented in such a way that the first-order admittance of any given antenna may be readily calculated.