Empirical-computational methods in the study of creeping waves

A method is described for the direct extraction of parameters characterizing the fundamental creeping wave modes by the application of elementary signal processing techniques to the total scattered radiation from arbitrary layered cylinders. Filtering is implemented by multiplying the field by suitable window functions designed to separate the creeping wave from the remaining radiation, and can be applied in the Fourier domain or directly in configuration space. Examples are presented for perfect electric conductors, impedance surfaces, and dielectrically coated cylinders. The method is easy, fast, and well suited to the direct observation of qualitative behavior patterns such as those associated with resonances