2000/09/06 by W. D. Walker, William D. Walker, Walker, William D.
Physics and Astronomy · #Classical Physics (physics.class-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #General Physics (physics.gen-ph) #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #physics.class-ph #physics.gen-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0009023
17 pages, Presented at Vigier III Symposium: Gravitation and Cosmology, Berkeley, California, USA, August 21-25, 2000
arxiv created 2000/09/06 · openalex publication_date 2000/09/06 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A simple experiment is presented which indicates that electromagnetic fields propagate superluminally in the near-field next to an oscillating electric dipole source. A high frequency 437MHz, 2 watt sinusoidal electrical signal is transmitted from a dipole antenna to a parallel near-field dipole detecting antenna. The phase difference between the two antenna signals is monitored with an oscilloscope as the distance between the antennas is increased. Analysis of the phase vs distance curve indicates that superluminal transverse electric field waves (phase and group) are generated approximately one-quarter wavelength outside the source and propagate toward and away from the source. Upon creation, the transverse waves travel with infinite speed. The outgoing transverse waves reduce to the speed of light after they propagate about one wavelength away from the source. The inward propagating transverse fields rapidly reduce to the speed of light and then rapidly increase to infinite speed as they travel into the source. The results are shown to be consistent with standard electrodynamic theory.