Theory of characteristic modes for conducting bodies

A theory of characteristic modes for conducting bodies is developed starting from the operator formulation for the current. The mode currents form a weighted orthogonal set over the conductor surface, and the mode fields form an orthogonal set over the sphere at infinity. It is shown that the modes are the same ones introduced by Garbacz to diagonalize the scattering matrix of the body. Formulas for the use of these modes in antenna and scatterer problems are given. For electrically small and intermediate size bodies, only a few modes are needed to characterize the electromagnetic behavior of the body.