A Numerical Study of an Idealized EMP Problem

Accurate results were obtained for the time history of the electric-field strength between two parallel, infinite, aluminum plates caused by Compton electrons generated by a transient, high-intensity, gamma-ray flux. Two numerical methods, Hamming's method and an exponential differencing technique, were used to solve the resulting ordinary differential equations of the problem. The two techniques and their results are examined and compared, and it is set forth that the exponential differencing method provides a more efficient solution to the ordinary differential equations of the type involved in this problem. (Author)