FINITE-ELEMENT SOLUTION OF MAXWELLS EQUATIONS WITH HELMHOLTZ FORMS

Interest in scattering and/or absorption involving three-dimensional p enetrable bodies has driven numerous efforts to develop computational methods for such problems. When the object is geometrically and electr ically complex, the finite-element method is a logical numerical choic e. Helmholtz weak forms have recently been advocated, and computationa l successes have been achieved with the approach. An overview of the H elmholtz formulation, with particular emphasis on its spurious-mode-re sistant properties, some efficient and reliable solution procedures fo r the algebra that it generates, and an approach to unstructured mesh generation, is presented. As a whole these procedures provide the basi s for a methodology for realizing three-dimensional finite-element sol utions of Maxwell's equations in a workstation computing environment. Examples of calculations that demonstrate several important properties of the Helmholtz technique and illustrate the extent to which practic al three-dimensional calculations can be accomplished with readily ava ilable computing power are shown.