Interface-Flattening Transform for EM Field Modeling in Tilted, Cylindrically Stratified Geophysical Media

We propose and investigate an “interface-flattening” transformation, hinging upon transformation optics (TO) techniques, to facilitate the rigorous analysis of electromagnetic (EM) fields radiated by sources embedded in tilted, cylindrically layered geophysical media. Our method addresses the major challenge in such problems of appropriately approximating the domain boundaries in the computational model while, in a full-wave manner, predicting the effects of tilting in the layers. When incorporated into standard pseudo-analytical algorithms, moreover, the proposed method is quite robust, as it is not limited by absorption, anisotropy, and/or eccentering profile of the cylindrical geophysical formations, nor is it limited by the radiation frequency. These attributes of the proposed method are in contrast to past analysis methods for tilted-layer media that often place limitations on the source and medium characteristics. Through analytical derivations as well as a preliminary numerical investigation, we analyze and discuss the method´s strengths and limitations.