The dielectric property of a tree is the innate electrical property that runs through its organic matter, which can be activated by a transmissive ground station to turn the whole tree into a large, living antenna system. The dielectric properties of trees vary by species, size, and shape, and can even change with the seasons as foliage shifts. Ingie Baho built data sets related to two trees during her summer internship at the Jet Propulsion Lab: an ornamental pear tree, and an olive tree (R and L, above) to see how their unique dielectric properties would impact the antenna system. Samples from each of these trees were placed in a case (center picture above) that is integrated into a keysight network analyzer, which is used to assess properties of the tree samples from each of these specimens. The keysight network analyzer exposes the sample to RF and assesses how the material responds in order to collect data on the permittivity, permeability, magnetic loss tangent, and dielectric loss tangent. These properties were then included in her models to more accurately simulate the performance of the antenna and its compatibility with our particular trees of interest. 

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