An efficient path integral (PI) model for the accurate analysis of curved dielectric structures on coarse grids via the two-dimensional nonstandard finite-difference time-domain (NS-FDTD) technique is introduced in this paper. In contrast to previous PI implementations of the perfectly electric conductor case, which accommodates orthogonal cells in the vicinity of curved surfaces, the novel PI model employs the occupation ratio of dielectrics in the necessary cells, providing thus a straightforward and instructive means to treat an assortment of practical applications. For its verification, the reflection from a flat plate and the scattering from a cylinder using the PI model are investigated. Results indicate that the featured methodology can enable the reliable and precise modeling of arbitrarily shaped dielectrics in the NS-FDTD algorithm on coarse grids.
Keywords: electromagnetic analysis; finite-difference time-domain methods; integral equations; numerical analysis; radar cross section.