Electromagnetic waves

For certain wavelength size objects, the frequency range between 100 MHz and 1000 MHz spans a transition region when using low frequency electromagnetic scattering codes based on Method of Moments (MoM) to high frequency codes based on Physical Theory of Diffraction (PTD) and ray tracing techniques. As the wavelength size of the object increased, MoM codes can require prohibitively long computational times and hence the more approximate high frequency codes become more attractive. The Ohio State Material Wire code (MATWRS) was selected as a representative MoM code for characterizing the transition region. XPATCH was selected as a representative high frequency code with ACAD used as the general modeling program. To evaluate these codes, a comparison of Radar Cross Section (RCS) predictions for simple PEC canonical shapes was made. Comparisons were made to both measured data where available and predictions generated by the McDonnell Douglas Body of Revolution (BOR) code.

In this thesis an attempt is made to calculate the power absorbed in different parts of a human block model which is located in free space and is exposed to a plane electromagnetic wave. The moment method is applied to solve an integral equation which relates the incident field to the induced electric field in an arbitrarily shaped biological body. To obtain more accurate results, a numerical integration technique developed here has been used. The computations on the induced electric fields compare well with earlier work done in this area. It has been found that there is indeed heating of tissues outside the region of intended treatment in hyperthermia at 80 MHz.

Sound propagation in a waveguide is greatly dependent on the acoustic properties of the boundaries. The effect of these properties can be described by a bottom reflection coefficient RB, and surface reflection coefficient RS. Two methods for estimating reflection coefficients are used in this research. The first, the ratio method, is based on the variations of the Green's function with depth utilizing the ratio of the wavenumber spectra at two depths. The second, the pole method, is based on the wavenumbers of the modal peaks in the spectrum at a particular depth. A method to invert for sound speed and density is also examined. Estimates of RB and RS based on synthetic data by the ratio method were very close to their predicted values, especially for higher frequencies and longer apertures. The pole method returned less precise estimates though with longer apertures, the estimates were better. Using experimental data, results of the pole method as well a geoacoustic inversion technique based on them were mixed. The ratio method was used to estimate RS based on the actual data and returned results close to the predicted phase of p.