I wonder if anyone has tried measuring the field distribution close to an antenna aperture using probes? Possibly, such near field measurements could then be used to determine the emissivity or reflectivity of materials placed in front of the antenna. In this way one could use near field measurements rather than the traditional far field measurements.
It is an interesting and tough problem. There is a fine line between measuring the near fields accurately and distorting the very field you are trying to measure. The goal I suppose would be infinite impedance for E-probe and infinite admittance for H-probes. Any materials you are trying to measure will also alter the response of the probes. Like I said, tricky business.
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