Cavity RF mode analysis using a boundary-integral method

A 3-dimensional boundary-integral method has been developed for RF cavity mode analysis. A frequency-dependent, homogeneous linear matrix equation is generated from a variant of the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) where the domain of integration is a closed surface specifying the RF envelope of the cavity. Frequencies at which the MFIE has nonzero solutions are mode frequencies of the cavity, and the solutions are the corresponding surface magnetic field distributions. The MFIE can then be used to calculate the electric and magnetic field at any other point inside the cavity. Forward iteration is used to find the largest complex eigenvalue of the matrix at a specific frequency. This eigenvalue is 1 when the frequency corresponds to a cavity RF resonance. The matrix equivalent of the MFIE is produced by approximating the cavity surface by a set of perfectly conducting surface elements, and assuming that the surface magnetic field has constant amplitude on each element. The method can handle cavities with complex symmetries, and be easily integrated with finite-element heat-transfer and stress analysis codes.<
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