Three dimensional electromagnetic scattering T-matrix computations

The infinite T-matrix method is a powerful tool for electromagnetic scattering simulations, particularly when one is interested in changes in orientation of the scatterer with respect to the incident wave or changes of configuration of multiple scatterers and random particles, because it avoids the need to solve the fully reconfigured systems. The truncated T-matrix (for each scatterer in an ensemble) is often computed using the null-field method. The main disadvantage of the null-field based T-matrix computation is its numerical instability for particles that deviate from a sphere. For large and/or highly non-spherical particles, the null-field method based truncated T-matrix computations can become slowly convergent or even divergent. In this work, we describe an electromagnetic scattering surface integral formulation for T-matrix computations that avoids the numerical instability. The new method is based on a recently developed high-order surface integral equation algorithm for far field computations using basis functions that are tangential on a chosen non-spherical obstacle. The main focus of this work is on the mathematical details required to apply the high-order algorithm to compute a truncated T-matrix that describes the scattering properties of a chosen perfect conductor in a homogeneous medium. We numerically demonstrate the stability and convergence of the T-matrix computations for various perfect conductors using plane wave incident radiation at several low to medium frequencies and simulation of the associated radar cross of the obstacles.