An iterative physical optics approach for analyzing the electromagnetic scattering by large open-ended cavities

A formulation based on the high frequency asymptotic principles of physical optics is developed for analyzing the scattering by relatively arbitrary open-ended waveguide cavities containing complex interior terminations. A magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) is obtained for the equivalent currents on the interior cavity walls and is solved using an iterative physical optics (IPO) algorithm which iteratively applies physical optics to account for multiple reflections inside the cavity. The number of iterations required for convergence is related to the expected number of important reflections. The IPO method is more approximate than a matrix solution of the MFIE, but it is quite accurate for electrically large cavities and is much more efficient. Numerical results are presented which demonstrate the convergence and accuracy of the method by comparison with modal reference solutions