Comments on the convergence of the iterative physical optics method for electromagnetic scattering predictions

Abstract

The Iterative Physical Optics (IPO) method has been shown to be an accurate approach for computing the scattering for many types of targets. However, the method has been plagued by convergence issues that can decrease confidence in the results and can make one less willing to rely on the method for routine engineering applications. In this paper, we explore the convergence of the IPO for a simple target whose scattering is dominated by cavity returns at certain scattering angles. We illustrate the rate of convergence, and assess the accuracy of the results by comparing with the Method of Moments.