Evaluation of the Trapped Surface Wave of a Vertical Electric Dipole Based on Undetermined Coefficient Method in the Presence of N-Layered Region: A Graphical Approach

Abstract

In previous studies, the trapped surface wave, which is defined by the residue sums, has been addressed in the evaluation of the Sommerfeld integrals describing electromagnetic field of a vertical dipole in the presence of three-layered or four-layered region. But unfortunately, the existing computational scheme cannot provide analytical solution of the field in the presence of the N-layered region when N > 4. The scope of this paper is to overcome the limitations in root finding algorithm implied by the previous approach and provide solution of poles in stratified media. A set of pole equations following with explicit expressions are derived based on the undetermined coefficient method, which enable a graphical approach to obtain initial values of real roots. Accordingly, the generated trapped surface wave components are computed when both the observation point and the electric dipole source are on or near the surface of a dielectric-coated conductor. Validity, efficiency, and accuracy of the proposed method are illustrated by numerical examples.