Abstract
Following a critique of previous theories of the dielectric aerial, a theoretical model is proposed based on the concepts of scattering theory. It is shown that the model is essentially an extension of the theory of polarization of dielectric materials. Application of the scattering model yields an inhomogeneous Fredholm integral equation, the solution of which is the aerial radiation pattern. Explicit equations are deduced for both TM01 and HE11 mode excitation of solid dielectric rods and numerical solutions have been obtained. The solutions compare favourably with those of previous methods. Extensions of the theory to other dielectric structures, such as tubes and inhomogeneous rods, are also discussed.