Application of the TLM method to half-space and remote-sensing problems

The problem of scattering and radiation in the presence of a material half-space is solved using the transmission line matrix (TLM) method. The TLM method is a general numerical method for obtaining an approximate solution to the time-dependent form of Maxwell´s equations in the presence of complex environments. The method requires the discretization of the entire spatial domain of the problem and provides the transient response as well as (through discrete Fourier transform) the frequency domain response. The three-dimensional symmetric-condensed TLM node is applied. A total/scattered field formulation is applied to excite the space. The source used is an electrically short electric dipole and is described analytically in the time-domain. The method is used to calculate near field distributions (in both the time and frequency domain) and the change in source input impedance of a dipole radiator in the presence of a half-space. Numerical simulations relevant to the detection of buried objects are provided