Intrinsic Impedance:
Intrinsic impedance of a medium can be defined as the impedance which an electromagnetic wave faces while traveling in a medium. An electromagnetic wave comprises of both electric and magnetic field, and thus mathematically the intrinsic impedance is defined as,
\(\eta = \frac{{\sqrt \mu }}{{\surd \epsilon}}\)
Skin depth:
The electric current flows mainly at the skin of the conductor, between the outer surface and a level called the skin depth.
Skin depth is defined as:
\(\delta=\frac{1}{\alpha}\)
The attenuation constant is given by:
\(\alpha=\omega\sqrt{\frac{\mu\epsilon}{2}\left[\sqrt{1+\left(\frac{σ}{\omega\epsilon}\right)^2}-1\right]}\)
For an ideal conductor with σ ≈ ∞,
\(\Rightarrow \left[\sqrt{1+\left(\frac{σ}{\omega\epsilon}\right)^2}-1\right]≈\frac{σ}{\omega\epsilon}\)
∴ The attenuation constant becomes:
\(\alpha=\omega \sqrt{\left(\frac{\muσ}{2\omega}\right)}\)
\(\alpha=\sqrt{\left(\frac{\omega\muσ} {2}\right)}=\sqrt{\pi f\muσ}\)
Thus, \(\delta=\frac{1}{\sqrt{\pi f \muσ}}\)
Thus, the skin depth is inversely proportional to the root of frequency.
Attenuation constant:
Skin depth is defined as the reciprocal of attenuation constant i.e.,
\(\Rightarrow \delta=\frac{1}{\alpha}\)
α is the attenuation constant given by:
\(α=\omega\sqrt{\frac{\mu\epsilon}{2}\left[\sqrt{1+\left(\frac{σ}{\omega\epsilon}\right)^2}-1\right]}\)
ω = Operating frequency
μ = Permeability of the material
σ = Conductivity of the material
For a good conductor σ >> 1. The above expression for the attenuation constant can be approximated as:
\(α=\left[\sqrt{1+\left(\frac{σ}{\omega\epsilon}\right)^2}-1\right]≈\frac{σ}{\omega\epsilon}\)
∴ The attenuation constant becomes:
\(α=\omega \sqrt{\left(\frac{\muσ}{2\omega}\right)}\)
\(α=\sqrt{\left(\frac{\omega\muσ} {2}\right)}\)
\(\therefore~α =\sqrt{\pi f\muσ}\)
Velocity of wave propagation:
Electromagnetic Waves: A changing electric field produces a changing magnetic field and vice versa which gives rise to a transverse wave known as an electromagnetic wave.
The time-varying electric and magnetic fields are mutually perpendicular to each other and also perpendicular to the direction of propagation of this wave.
Maxwell found that the speed of the e.m.wave depends on the permeability and permittivity of the medium through which it travels. The speed of an e.m.wave in free space is given by
\(c = \frac{1}{{\sqrt {{\mu _o}{\epsilon_o}} }}\)