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

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz" <acmdq@xxxxxxxxxx>

Tesla list wrote:
> Original poster: stork <stork@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> > 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?  Maybe someone could devise an experiment to prove this 
> virtual ground exists and it's potential relative to the real ground 
> potential is the same as it must be, if there is a true return path.

Electromagnetic waves induce alternate voltages/currents in what serves
as antenna (anything conductive). There is no "ground". Everything is
differential.

> Otherwise, the weapon shooter would not be concerned if the EM wave 
> took along its own ground path.  No return path back to the shooter 
> is necessary.

That device does not send an electromagnetic wave. It sends a current.

> So, on a cold dry December morning Terry is walking in his leather 
> shoes across his carpet.  As his hand reaches for the well insulated 
> front door metal handle a sharp snappy little spark arcs between his 
> index finger and the well insulated metal door knob.  Has the door 
> knob potential changed?
> Where is the return path?

When this happens, the door knob is usually at ground potential. It it
were insulated, just a tiny spark would occur, and the potential of the
knob would end equal to Terry's potential, slightly smaller than before
the spark. With the knob grounded, all the charge accumulated in Terry
would flow to the knob and to ground, and both would end at ground
potential. The return path is by "displacement current". Or capacitor
current, that is exactly the same thing.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz