Improvements and extensions in FDTD for RCS calculations

The Contour Path (CP) method combined with a fourth order approximation to spatial derivatives is applied to calculate the RCS of conducting cylinders. A generalization of the CP method is also applied in scattering problems by 3D structures. The CP method provides a powerful technique to solve scattering problems for curved contours, as it allows smaller computer resources and higher accuracies. Combining both methods, the CP and the fourth order scheme, even higher accuracies are obtained. The results of this combination will be presented, both for three and two-dimensional geometries.