This document discusses electromagnetic theory as it relates to plane waves in good conductors. It can be summarized as follows:
1) For good conductors where conductivity is much greater than the product of angular frequency and permittivity, the propagation constant and intrinsic impedance are derived.
2) The propagation constant and intrinsic impedance have angles of 45 degrees.
3) The skin depth or depth of penetration is defined as the distance within which the amplitude of a travelling wave is reduced to 37% of its original value. Skin depth is inversely proportional to the square root of frequency and conductivity.
This document discusses electromagnetic theory as it relates to plane waves in good conductors. It can be summarized as follows:
1) For good conductors where conductivity is much greater than the product of angular frequency and permittivity, the propagation constant and intrinsic impedance are derived.
2) The propagation constant and intrinsic impedance have angles of 45 degrees.
3) The skin depth or depth of penetration is defined as the distance within which the amplitude of a travelling wave is reduced to 37% of its original value. Skin depth is inversely proportional to the square root of frequency and conductivity.
This document discusses electromagnetic theory as it relates to plane waves in good conductors. It can be summarized as follows:
1) For good conductors where conductivity is much greater than the product of angular frequency and permittivity, the propagation constant and intrinsic impedance are derived.
2) The propagation constant and intrinsic impedance have angles of 45 degrees.
3) The skin depth or depth of penetration is defined as the distance within which the amplitude of a travelling wave is reduced to 37% of its original value. Skin depth is inversely proportional to the square root of frequency and conductivity.
This document discusses electromagnetic theory as it relates to plane waves in good conductors. It can be summarized as follows:
1) For good conductors where conductivity is much greater than the product of angular frequency and permittivity, the propagation constant and intrinsic impedance are derived.
2) The propagation constant and intrinsic impedance have angles of 45 degrees.
3) The skin depth or depth of penetration is defined as the distance within which the amplitude of a travelling wave is reduced to 37% of its original value. Skin depth is inversely proportional to the square root of frequency and conductivity.
𝜸 = 𝜶 + 𝒊𝜷 = √𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈 + 𝒊√𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈 Thus, for good conductor,
𝜶 = √𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈 Np/m
𝜷 = √𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈 rad/m For good conductor, α and β are equal and both are directly proportional to the square root of frequency (f) and conductivity (σ). The intrinsic impedance of a good conductor is given by,
𝒊𝝎𝝁 𝜼=√ 𝝈+𝒊𝝎𝝐
But for good conductor, 𝝈 >> 𝑖𝜔𝜖
1 Electromagnetic Theory for M.Sc Course – CH10 College of Education – Physics Department
𝒊𝝎𝝁 𝝎𝝁 𝜼=√ =√ √𝒊 𝝈 𝝈
But, √𝒊 = √𝟏∠𝟗𝟎𝟎 = 𝟏∠𝟒𝟓𝟎 = 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟒𝟓𝟎 + 𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟒𝟓𝟎
𝟏 𝟏 √𝒊 = [√𝟐 + 𝒊 √𝟐]
Thus, 𝝎𝝁 𝟏 𝟏 𝜼=√ [ +𝒊 ] 𝝈 √𝟐 √𝟐
𝝎𝝁 𝟐𝝅𝒇𝝁 𝜼=√ (𝟏 + 𝒊) and 𝜼=√ (𝟏 + 𝒊) 𝟐𝝈 𝟐𝝈
𝝅𝒇𝝁 𝜼=√ (𝟏 + 𝒊) 𝝈
The angle of the intrinsic impedance is 450. As we have already studied that for perfect dielectric ,i.e., zero conductivity, the intrinsic impedance angle is zero and for the good conductor angle is 450. Moreover the intrinsic impedance has only a positive angle. This clearly indicates that the field H may lag the field E by at the most 450. Consider only the component of electric field Exs travelling in positive z-direction .When it travels in good conductor , the conductivity is very high and attenuation constant α is also high .This component in phasor form is given by,
𝑬𝒙𝒔 = 𝑬+ 𝒎𝒆 −𝜶𝒛 −𝒊𝜷𝒛 𝒆
When such a wave propagates in good conductor , there is a large attenuation of
the amplitude as shown in the figure (10.4).
As z=0, the amplitude of Ex is Em; while at z=d, the amplitude is 𝑬𝒎 𝒆−𝜶𝒅 . In
distance z=d, the amplitude gets reduced by the factor 𝒆−𝜶𝒅 . If we select d=1/α , then the factor becomes e-1=0.368. So over a distance d=1/α , the amplitude of the wave decreases to approximately 37% of its original value. The distance through which the amplitude of travelling wave decreases to 37% of the original amplitude is called skin depth or depth of penetration. It is denoted by δ . 2 Electromagnetic Theory for M.Sc Course – CH10 College of Education – Physics Department
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 Skin depth =𝜹= = = m 𝜶 𝜷 √𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈
From the expression of skin depth, it is clear that δ is inversely proportional to the square root of frequency . So for the frequencies in the microwave range , the skin depth or depth of penetration is very small for good conductor. And all the fields and currents may be considered as confined to a very thin layer near the conductor surface. From the below figure (10.5), it is clear that in 1δ distance, the amplitude reduces to 37% of its original value. For a good conductor, amplitude reduces to almost zero within 2δ or 3δ distance. Thus, uniform plan wave cannot travel large distance through good conductor. This concept is used in a shielding of a conductor.
The intrinsic impedance of a good conductor in terms of the skin depth δ is, 𝟏 𝟏 √𝟐 𝜼=( 𝝈𝜹 +𝒊 𝝈𝜹 ) = 𝝈𝜹 ∠𝟒𝟓𝟎 𝜴 𝟐 𝟐 𝝎 𝝎 √𝟐(√𝝎) √𝟐(√𝝎) The velocity of propagation is given by, 𝒗 = = = = 𝜷 √𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈 √𝟐√𝝅𝒇𝝁𝝈 √𝝎𝝁𝝈 𝟐𝝎 𝒗=√ = 𝝎𝜹 (m/sec) ………………………………………………. (3) 𝝁𝝈 Similarly the wavelength λ is given by, 𝟐𝝅 𝝀 = = 𝟐𝝅𝜹 (m) ………………………………………………..…….. (4) 𝜷 Equations (3) and (4) give the velocity of propagation and wavelength expressed 1 interms of skin depth ( as 𝛽 = ). 𝛿
