Application of the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method to Sinusoidal Steady-State Electromagnetic-Penetration Problems

A numerical method for predicting the sinusoidal steady-state electromagnetic fields penetrating an arbitrary dielectric or conducting body is described here. The method employs the finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) solution of Maxwell´s curl equations implemented on a cubic-unit-cell space lattice. Small air-dielectric loss factors are introduced to improve the lattice truncation conditions and to accelerate convergence of cavity interior fields to the sinusoidal steady state. This method is evaluated with comparison to classical theory, method-of-moment frequency-domain numerical theory, and experimental results via application to a dielectric sphere and acylindrical metal cavity with an aperture. Results are also given for a missile-like cavity with two different types of apertures illuminated by an axial-incidence plane wave.