ABSTRACT
This chapter adopts a more physical approach to diffraction in which the currents that give rise to the scattered wave are made explicit. It reconsiders diffraction by a semi-infinite metal conductor, for which this method is capable of giving an exact solution. The electric field is decomposed into incident and scattered parts. The chapter discusses the geometry of diffraction by a perfectly conducting straight edge and the exact diffraction cross section. It examines the form of the field near the edge by solving the wave equation. The chapter discusses the cylindrical coordinate system for diffraction by a straight edge.
