Performance Analysis of Point Source Model with Coincident Phase Centers in FDTD

• Main Author: Xu, Yang
• Other Authors: Sergey N. Makarov, Advisor
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital WPI 2014
• Subjects: Source Modeling; Point Source; Infinitesimal Magnetic Dipole; Finite Difference Time Domain Method; Infinitesimal Electric Dipole; Localization; Wireless Body Area Networks
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/etd-theses/214; https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1213&context=etd-theses

The Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Method has been a powerful tool in numerical simulation of electromagnetic (EM) problems for decades. In recent years, it has also been applied to biomedical research to investigate the interaction between EM waves and biological tissues. In Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) studies, to better understand the localization problem within the body, an accurate source/receiver model must be investigated. However, the traditional source models in FDTD involve effective volume and may cause error in near field arbitrary direction. This thesis reviews the basic mathematical and numerical foundation of the Finite Difference Time Domain method and the material properties needed when modeling a human body in FDTD. Then Coincident Phase Centers (CPCs) point sources models have been introduced which provide nearly the same accuracy at the distances as small as 3 unit cells from the phase center. Simultaneously, this model outperforms the usual sources in the near field when an arbitrary direction of the electric or magnetic dipole moment is required.