
402 Time Dependent Problems I (Quasi Stationary Approximation)
.
(6.300)
The reader is cautioned that this expression is valid only for (that is, even
for large frequencies, its validity is restricted to x being not too small, i.e., not too
close to the axis). Take eq. (6.300), close to the surface where or ,
there one observes that the field behaves just like the planar case. For this purpose,
compare the current result (6.300) with that of the half-space (6.139) and notice
that there, the distance ξ from the surface of the half space corresponds here to the
distance from the cylinder surface , or dimensionless:
. From
(6.301)
follows that
,
(6.302)
that is, the penetration depth is very small versus the cylinder radius. Also plausible
is, that under those circumstances the diffusion occurs as in the plane case. This is
true, not only for cylinders, but for all kinds of shapes, as long as the frequency is
large enough, or the interest is only in sufficiently thin penetration depths. From
this perspective, the result (6.139) is of rather general significance.
Summarizing, we may conclude that the case of very low frequencies can be
reduced to the case of direct currents, while the case of high frequencies can be
reduced to a plane diffusion problem. For intermediate frequencies, there is no easy
approximation. However, the behavior is qualitatively (not quantitatively) similar
to the plane case that we have studied in Sect. 6.5.4: The wave is damped while
penetrating the medium and it exhibits a phase difference.
6.8 Limits of the Quasi Stationary Theory
The quasi stationary theory is an approximation which is based on neglecting the
displacement current in Maxwell’s equations. We have mentioned already that all
phenomena related to electromagnetic waves are neglected. It may sound paradox
that we have encountered wave behavior in processes like the skin effect. Notice
however, that these processes are enforced by the boundary conditions and are
unrelated to electromagnetic waves which we will discuss later.
A typical behavior of propagation of waves is that this occurs with a certain
finite velocity. We will discuss this in detail in the next chapter. Furthermore, the
fundamental postulate of relativity, and thereby for the entire natural science
altogether, is that there is no signal velocity higher than the speed of light in
vacuum, . Consider for example, a field of the kind as discussed in
Sect. 6.4, initially shaped like a δ-function, propagating in the infinite space.
B
ϕ
x τ,()
B
0
1 x–()–
Ω
2
----exp Ωτ 1 x–()–
Ω
2
----
cos
x
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
≈
x Ω 1»
rr
0
≈ x 1≈
r
0
r–
r
0
r–()r
0
⁄ 1 rr
0
⁄–()1 x–==
ωµκr
0
2
Ω 1»=
r
0
1
ωµκ
---------------»
c
0
310
8
ms
1–
⋅≈