Many applications involving electromagnetic (EM) scattering, wether operating at radio or optical frequencies, are governed by Maxwell's theory. The theory describes how an object, e.g., an aerosol particle, transforms an incident EM wave. For example, a collimated laser beam incident on an aerosol particle is generally scattered over all directions. If the way that this redistribution of light is known theoretically, a measurement of the scattered light over angle can then be compared to the model to reveal physical characteristics of the particle; this is the gist of EM scattering as a remote-sensing method. As another example, the performance of thermal insulation materials depends, in part, on the ability of the material to scatter and absorb EM radiation, much of which can be described with Maxwell's theory. Many other useful applications of EM scattering can be understood and exploited by such modeling. AE has an extensive record of computational work on EM scattering problems. Our capabilities include both analytical and numerical methods to solve the Maxwell equations in a wide variety of scenarios. Often, this capability is useful for clients needing to determine the feasibility of various measurements involving scattering or the optimization and control of EM wave propagation. Past projects include simulating the scattering patterns and digital holograms of aerosol particles, modeling the transport of thermal radiation in insulation materials, and calculating the EM fields present in nano- and micro-objects under laser illumination. Also available are visualization services to render and analyze complicated data sets involving EM fields, fluxes, and other physical qualtites.
Field calculation for localized objects: Internal, near-field, and far-field zones
Advanced analytic & numerical methods in EM scattering
Visualization of complex data: Fields, fluxes, and densities