Direct Finite-Difference Analysis of the Electromagnetic-Wave Propagation in Inhomogeneous Plasma

With the direct finite-difference method, the propagation properties of the S-polarization and P-polarization electromagnetic (EM) waves in inhomogeneous plasma are investigated in this paper. It is discussed how the plasma and EM-wave parameters affect the reflected, transmitted, and absorbed power. Numerical results indicate that collisional plasma with a low density is less reflective of microwaves, while the collisional but high-density plasma can increase the absorption bandwidth of EM waves. For low-collision plasma, its power-absorption capability can be enhanced by P-polarization microwave with proper obliquely incident angle.