TE-wave scattering by a dielectric cylinder of arbitrary cross-section shape

The theory and equations are developed for the scattering pattern of a dielectric cylinder of infinite length and arbitrary cross-section shape. The harmonic incident wave is assumed to have its electric vector perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, and the fields are assumed to have no variations along this axis. Although some investigators have approximated the field within the dielectric body by the incident field, a more accurate solution is obtained here by treating the field as an unknown function which is determined by solving a system of linear equations. Scattering patterns obtained by this method are presented for dielectric shells of circular and semicircular cross section, and for a thin plane dielectric slab of finite width. The results for the circular shell agree accurately with the exact classical solution. The effects of surface-wave excitation and mutual interaction among the various portions of the shell are included automatically in this solution.