Finite-element computation of scattering by inhomogeneous penetrable bodies of revolution

This investigation is concerned with the numerical solution of time-harmonic electromagnetic scattering by axisymmetric penetrable bodies having arbitrary cross-sectional profiles and even continuously inhomogeneous consistency. The initiation of this effort involved the discovery and development of the coupled azimuthal potential (CAP) formulation, which is valid in generally lossy isotropic inhomogeneous rotationally symmetric media. Electromagnetic fields in such regions can be represented, using the CAP formulation, in terms of two continuous potentials which satisfy a self-adjoint system of partial differential equations or, equivalently, a variational criterion. Using an optimized variational finite-element algorithm in conjunction with a triregional unimoment method, a versatile computer program is described that provides scattering solutions for each of multiple incident fields impinging upon an arbitrarily shaped inhomogeneous penetrable body of revolution. An extensive evaluation of the accuracy and convergence of the algorithm is presented, which includes comparison of scattering computations and experimental measurements at -band for several solid and hollow plexiglas bodies of revolution with maximum interior dimensions of over 4 wavelengths.