A moment solution for an arbitrary configuration of partly shielded wires above a ground plane

A moment solution is constructed for the electric current induced on an arbitrary configuration of partly shielded wires placed in the free-space region above a perfectly conducting infinite plane and illuminated either by the time-harmonic electromagnetic field of a current element or by an incident plane wave. The wires are partly shielded in that they pass through various lengths of thin perfectly conducting tubing. The wires are arbitrarily bent. The thin wire approximation is used for the portions of wire directly exposed to the incident field and for the exterior surfaces of the sheaths of tubing. The coaxial region between any wire and its sheath is treated as an ordinary transmission line. The moment solution is implemented by computer programs which are described and listed. Some numerical results are presented.