RE: Copper tubing

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Loudner, Godfrey by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <gloudner-at-SINTE.EDU>

Hi Antonio

I still think that the quantum mechanics of electron flow in metals can
reveal characteristics which cannot be explained by the use of classical
electromagnetic theory. Beside the flow of high frequency currents in
conductors, I also feel that a proper explanation of the dynamics of an arc
at the spark gap can benefit from the use of quantum mechanics. Consider the
current density of the emission from a pure metal surface. Classical
electromagnetic theory could not lead to a useful formula for the current
density. Engineers used an empirical formula in the case of mercury pool arc
rectifiers. Finally the theoretical physicist Fowler applied quantum
mechanics to produce the proper formula for the current density. I am a
mathematician with some knowledge of how to use quantum mechanics, but I
just don't have the background in physics to go ahead and apply quantum
theory to high frequency currents and the spark gap arc. 

Godfrey Loudner


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Tesla list [SMTP:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> Sent:	Thursday, April 12, 2001 1:13 PM
> To:	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject:	Re: Copper tubing
> 
> Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br>
> 
> Tesla list wrote:
> > 
> > Original poster: "Loudner, Godfrey by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <gloudner-at-SINTE.EDU>
> 
> > The high frequency current does not travel on the inside surface of the
> > pipe. The situation is more complicated than just saying that the
> current
> > travels on the outside surface of the pipe. The high frequency current
> will
> > travel at the surface of a good conductor, but it makes plunges deeper
> in to
> > the conductor at regular intervals. Think of how a whale swins. The
> actual
> > path of a high frequency current in a conductor is a problem in quantum
> > mechanics. 
> 
> ?! To the observable limits, everything is completely predictable 
> with classical electromagnetism. No need of quantum mechanics, or even 
> atomic theory. The effect is uniform along the length of the conductor.
> Alternating current flows in any conductor with higher concentration at 
> the outer surface (or the surface where the magnetic field that
> surrounds
> the conductor is, what explains what happens at the outer conductor of a
> coaxial cable), decaying exponentially with the distance from the 
> surface. The distribution depends essentially on the resistitivy of the 
> material (deeper for more resistivity) and on the frequency (deeper for
> smaller frequency). In coils, current is also reppelled from
> the other turns by the same mechanism, in what is called "proximity 
> effect".
> 
> Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
> 
>