A MATHEMATICAL EXPLORATION OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL DEPTH PENETRATION BY ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

Abstract

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons are widely recognized as a potential disruption to infrastructures that are based on electronic equipment. Use of an EMP platform presents a significant opportunity for aggressive actors to disable infrastructure without causing physical damage to structures or individuals. As more aspects of society depend on electronic controls, passive measures of protection for critical systems will be more valuable for maintaining a viable national security posture. This leads to the natural question: are construction materials and natural materials viable methods to shield sensitive electronics from EMP fields? By discretizing Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetics via a finite-difference time-domain method, we can observe the behavior of the electric field as it propagates through various materials to see if they provide adequate protection. From this discretization, we were able to analyze individual material properties to find the best traits for protective measures. We found that the electrical conductivity is the most significant material property that contributes to attenuation of electric fields, with increases in conductivity corresponding to approximate exponential decreases in the magnitude of electric field propagation. After running these simulations, we find that many common construction and natural materials offer significant protection, but electric fields from an EMP could be large enough to penetrate the layer at damaging levels.