An approximate solution for scattering by thin dielectric objects

Abstract

Scattering from thin dielectric objects is a classic research topic in electromagnetics which has found a number of useful applications. A traditional approach is to model thin dielectrics with resistive sheets, and for several canonical geometries of resistive sheet bodies, exact solutions are found (Senior, T.B.A. and Volakis, J.L., 1995). However, for many important geometries such as disks, exact solutions are not known and approximate solutions may be applicable to limited cases of interest. A new approximate solution is formulated based on a volumetric integral equation using Fourier transform, and it is shown that the solution is uniformly valid from low to high frequencies at all incidence angles, including edge-on incidence. Validity of the solution is demonstrated through a comparison with canonical objects such as an infinite dielectric slab, and a number of 2D and 3D dielectric scatterers. For 2D and 3D scatterers, the approximate solution is compared with a method of moments solution.