Preface to the electronic edition There were many texts available on finite-element methods for electromagnetic fields when the print version of this book was released in 1997, and there are even more now. Most of them are mathematically oriented, presenting a generalized, sophisticated theoretical framework. This book differs in two respects: • It emphasizes the physical properties of electric and magnetic fields and how they can be translated to a numerical representation. • It shows how to do useful things, concentrating on the nuts-and-bolts of numerical solutions. At the time I wrote the book, I was involved in 2D solutions for charged-particle devices, so there is an emphasis on techniques with conformal triangular meshes. I have since moved to 3D solutions on conformal hexahedron meshes so I expect to add material in the future. The book content was originally published by CRC Press (now a division of Taylor and Francis) under the title Field Solutions on Computers (ISBN 0-8493-1668-5). Much of the work preparing this book was performed on a sabbatical leave from the University of New Mexico. I would like to thank Ashley Gasque of Taylor and Francis for arranging permission to create and to distribute this electronic text. The PDF file was generated from my original manuscript and illustrations using Latex. The conversion effort was supported by Field Precision LLC. Please note that the PDF file and the included material are copyrighted by Stanley Humphries (2010). You have permission to download the file and to produce a single printed copy. The following activities are illegal without the copyright holder’s permission: • Distributing the PDF file or any included material in electronic or printed form. • Posting the PDF file or any portion of it on the Internet for download. • Adding any portion of the text or illustrations to another work, either published or unpublished. I am happy to grant permission to produce copies of the work for classroom or training use or to incorporate material in another publication with an appropriate citation. Please contact me at
[email protected] If you want to try some of the techniques or exercises, you can get free educational software from Field Precision LLC. The following package generates 2D electrostatic and magnetostatic solutions and demonstrates many of the methods discussed in the book: http://www.fieldp.com/sate.html
A three-dimensional electromagnetic code that employs the FETD methods covered in Sect. 14.8 is available at: http://www.fieldp.com/emp3.html
Finally, please contact me if you find errors in the text. The Latex project can easily be modified and regenerated. -Stanley Humphries, Jr., Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A., January 2010
Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Summary of material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .