Making an adequate model of electromagnetic penetration into a complex system (building, aircraft, etc.) is a very challenging task. This can be simplified somewhat using concepts of electromagnetic topology. In this approach the system is judiciously divided into smaller parts, each of which is characterized by scattering matrices obtained by mathematical modelling and/or experiment. These are then combined via the BLT equation to model the whole system. More importantly, one can bound the response using norm concepts and the good-shielding approximation in the case of a hierarchical topology using tree-graph concepts. These in turn give design concepts for efficient control of electromagnetic penetration.

Carl E. Baum, distinguished research professor at the University of New Mexico, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

He was born in Binghamton, New York, on February 6, 1940. He received the  B.S. (with honor), M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 1962, 1963, and 1969.

He received the degree of Doctor of Enginering honoris causa from the Otto-van-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany, in 2004.

He was stationed at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate (formerly Phillips Laboratory, formerly Air Force Weapons Laboratory), Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM, from 1963 to 1967 and from 1968 to 1971.

From 1971-2005 he had served as a civil servant with a position as Senior Scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory. Since 2005 he has been a distinguished research professor at the University of New Mexico, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.