Plane wave diffraction by two half-planes joined by a step is studied
in the case where each half-plane and the step are characterized by di
fferent surface reactances. The diffraction problem is first reduced t
o a modified Wiener-Hopf equation of the second kind whose solution co
ntains an infinite set of constants satisfying an infinite system of l
inear algebraic equations. Numerical solution of this system is obtain
ed for various values of the surface reactances and the height of the
step wherefrom is studied the effects of these parameters on the diffr
action phenomenon. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.