Hybrid techniques using the MoM and PO/UTD: A tutorial overview

A tutorial review of hybrid computational electromagnetic methods suitable for radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation and scattering problems is presented. The emphasis is on the method of moments (MoM), physical optics (PO) and the uniform theory of diffraction (UTD), and in particular on methods for hydridising them. Such hybrid formulations permit computer simulation of problems sufficiently large electromagnetically to have prohibitive computational requirements using purely the MoM, but not sufficiently large to reliably apply asymptotic methods such as the UTD. Several examples using a commercially available hybrid code are presented, to highlight the advantages of hybrid techniques. A case where the hybrid MOM/PO formulation failed is also reviewed. The industrial use of such codes is discussed, emphasising both the potential power of the approach for complex problems, as well as the advisability of understanding the underlying formulations