SOLVING OPEN BOUNDARY-PROBLEMS USING FINITE-ELEMENTS

The use of the Finite Element Method in terms of the magnetic vector p otential and electric scalar potential has been previously reported. T he need for a suitable gauge has been stressed to ensure unique soluti on, and the Lorentz gauge has been shown to be attractive since it dec ouples the magnetic vector and electric scalar potentials. The present paper shows how absorbing boundary conditions can easily be included in this method, retaining symmetry in the equations, and thus allowing solutions to problems in which energy radiates away from the solution domain.