ABSTRACT

This chapter describes various aspects of the plane wave propagation. It begins with Maxwell’s equations and basic assumptions, continues into media classification, and defines the attenuation, phase shift constant, phase velocity, and characteristic impedance. It discusses the wave propagation in lossless and lossy media. The study of lossless media includes the wave equations and their solution, critical study of the solution, characteristic impedance, and the nature of waves. The meanings of traveling and standing waves, uniform and non-uniform waves, and equiamplitude and equiphase planes are briefly elaborated. The study of lossy media also includes wave equations and their solution. It describes the criteria to distinguish between conductors and dielectrics, some properties of dielectrics, evaluation of α and β in terms of media parameters, and the impact of conductivity on α, β, υ, and η. This chapter explains the meaning of polarization, describes elliptic, linear, and circular polarization, sense of polarization, and the mathematical representation of polarization. It also discusses the depth of penetration and the surface impedance.