A High-Order Nodal Galerkin Formulation for the Müller Equation: Bypassing Divergence Conformity via Kernel Cancellation

Abstract

The Müller boundary integral equation for penetrable electromagnetic scattering is conventionally discretized using divergence-conforming basis functions, a restriction inherited from the PMCHWT framework. This paper demonstrates that this constraint can be bypassed. The double-gradient operator in the Müller formulation acts on the kernel difference $\varphi_a - \varphi_i$, so that the $\mathcal{O}(R^{-3})$ hypersingularity cancels identically, reducing the operators to weakly singular $\mathcal{O}(R^{-1})$ kernels. Exploiting this cancellation, we develop a nodal, high-order Galerkin formulation using $\mathrm{P}_2$ isoparametric shape functions on curved manifolds. The surface vector field is constructed via a metric-weighted orthonormal tangent frame. The singular integrals are evaluated by Sauter--Schwab quadrature, and a Morton-ordered Block Jacobi preconditioner is introduced. By capturing the dominant near-field interactions within geometrically clustered diagonal blocks, it yields robust, superlinear GMRES convergence under extreme material and geometric parameters. Validation against semi-analytical EBCM references confirms high-order spatial accuracy and optical-theorem satisfaction to high precision.