Re: Lightning Gun To Combat Terrorists - WHERE IS THE RETURN PATH???

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: stork <stork@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Tesla list wrote:
> Original poster: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> At 02:33 PM 9/5/2005, Tesla list wrote:
>
> > Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Hi Stork,
> >
> > At 01:13 PM 9/5/2005, you wrote:
> >
> > > > Radio waves only need an antenna long enough to create a 
> > > > potential difference in the presence of electromagnetic 
> > > > waves.  They operate in free space such as on satellites and 
> > > > space craft.  In a real way, EM waves tend to bring the ground 
> > > > path along with them ;-)
> > >
> > >
> > > Oh, I get it, a traveling virtual ground. Is this virtual ground 
> > > at the same potential as the real ground from where it was launched?
>
> Nope... a propagating EM wave just has an Efield (and of course, the 
> corresponding H field at right angles).  You can put probes into the 
> field and measure the voltage and/or extract some power from the 
> travelling wave, which is what an antenna really is.

CORRECT

I was just having a little fun at Terry's expense.  There isn't a 
traveling virtual ground and no requirement of a return back to the 
source of the wave.

> > It is an isolated floating ground that could be any potential.  I 
> > wonder if satellites in open space have any known net charge on them?
> > Maybe Jim Lux would know that?
>
> It's truly floating (in that it's not necessarily referred to some 
> other "far away" point.  I suppose you could, but you'd have to deal 
> with the fact that you'd be measuring it at some "other time".

Correct

It is truly floating and not referenced to the transmitting ground or 
any other point of reference.  So no other "return" is necessary.

Stork