ABSTRACT
Electromagnetic waves, i.e., traveling electric and magnetic fields, are the most important consequence of general Maxwell's equations. This chapter analyzes the electromagnetic wave propagation, describes the properties of waves as they propagate away from their sources - rapidly time-varying currents and charges in a source region. An electromagnetic wave incident on the surface of a conductor attenuates rapidly with distance from the surface. The skin depth is defined as the depth into the conductor at which the amplitude of the electric field of the wave is attenuated to 1/e of its initial value, i.e., value at the surface. The skin effect, i.e., the rapid spatial decrease of the wave amplitude, in a good conductor is caused by local Joule's losses throughout the volume of the material. There is practically no difference in the performance between hollow and solid metallic conductors in various types of antennas and transmission lines at microwave frequencies.
