High-frequency electric field measurement using a toroidal antenna

In this paper the author describes an innovative method of measuring high-frequency electric fields using a toroid. For typical geophysical applications the new sensor will detect electric fields for a wide range of spectrum starting from 1.0 MHz. This window, in particular the lower frequency range between 1.0 to 100 MHz, has not been used for existing electromagnetic or radar systems to detect small objects in the upper few meters of the ground. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) can be used successfully in this depth range if the ground is resistive but most soils are, in fact, conductive (0.01 to 1.0 S/m) rendering GPR inefficient. Other factors controlling the resolution of GPR system for small objects is the spatial averaging inherent in the electric dipole antenna and the scattering caused by soil inhomogeneities of dimensions comparable to the wavelength (and antenna size). For maximum resolution it is desirable to use the highest frequencies but the scattering is large and target identification is poor. Time-varying magnetic fields induce an emf (voltage) in a toroid. The electric field at the center of the toroid is shown to be linearly related to this induced voltage. By measuring the voltage across a toroid one can easily and accurately determine the electric field. The new sensor will greatly simplify the cumbersome procedure involved with GPR measurements with its center frequency less than 100 MHz. The overall size of the toroidal sensor can be as small as a few inches. It is this size advantage that will not only allow easy fabrication and deployment of multi-component devices either on the surface or in a borehole, but it will render greatly improved resolution over conventional systems