Some critical parameters for the statistical characterization of power density within a microwave reverberation chamber

Microwave reverberation chambers have become important devices for testing the susceptibility of electronic equipment to microwave radiation. Procedures for constructing and operating these chambers are based on a set of qualitative and approximate guidelines that are derived from the practical experience of a number of experts, as opposed to being based on accurate mathematical models. However, in recent years, a number of researchers have formulated ideal theoretical models for the electromagnetic fields inside these chambers.; This dissertation includes the evaluation of the models under certain limiting, non-ideal conditions as well as the derivation of a new transfer function model for the gain of a microwave reverberation chamber. The evaluation process is performed with an elaborate measurement apparatus and via numerical simulations. The deviation of the chamber measurements from the corresponding theoretical models is considered as a function of some critical parameters such as chamber quality factor, electrical size, and mode density.; The primary focus of this study is the investigation of a possible second-order statistical model for the fields inside the chamber. The mathematical form of this model is extracted from a more general theory of "complex cavities" and is termed the spatial correlation function (SCF) of the power density. The study is conducted by making actual SCF measurements and developing a computer SCF experiment (simulation). Detailed results and conclusions are presented.