Numerical analysis of electromagnetic scattering from dielectric material

This paper presents a review of a hybrid finite-element method with the method of moment for two and three-dimensional electromagnetic scattering from inhomogeneous, arbitrarily shaped objects. The basic technique is to apply the equivalence principle and transform the original problem into interior and exterior problems, which are coupled on the exterior dielectric body surface through the continuities of the tangential electric field and magnetic field. The interior problem involving inhomogeneous medium is solved by the finite element method and exterior problem is solved by the method of moment. The coupling of the interior and exterior problems on their common surface result in a matrix equation for the equivalent current source. The surface of the object is approximated by triangles and the volume of the object is approximated by tetrahedron. The electrical parameters are assumed constant in each tetrahedron. The paper begins with a general description of the method. A number of two and three-dimensional applications are then given, including numerical computations which demonstrate the methods accuracy, efficiency and capability.