Boundary conditions for Maxwell solvers (Q933283)

It shown analytically that correctly applied boundary conditions for a semi-discrete approximation to electromagnetic wave propagation in a plasma yield solutions that satisfy Poisson's equation, and that these solutions are unique. The numerical tests using a difference method that satisfies the vector identity and does not have parasitic modes yield results that are consistent with the analysis. The author believes that these results support the view that the spurious solutions discussed by \textit{B.-N. Jiang, J. Wu} and \textit{L. A. Povinelli} [J. Comput. Phys. 125, No. 1, 104--123 (1996; Zbl 0848.65086)] are the result of numerical error rather than a property of Maxwell's equations.