TEM WAVES IN CYLINDRICAL SYSTEMS

BY
PARRY MOON 1 AND DOMINA ABSTRACT EBERLE SPENCER 2

A general theory is developed for T E M waves guided by any form of cylindrical conductors. The vector Laplacian in general curvilinear coordinates leads to very simple equations for E and H. With electromagnetic waves, a scalar potential does not exist, since curl E # 0. But if E.curl E = 0, a scalar quasipotential can be introduced, from which the E-vector can be obtained. The use of a quasipotential constitutes a second method for handling T E M waves. The paper produces no new practical results; but it does develop general equations t h a t are free from the ambiguities existing in previous treatments.
INTRODUCTION

Transverse electromagnetic ( T E M ) waves occur on transmission lines and with certain waveguides. T h o u g h the practical applications are u n d e r s t o o d by most radio engineers, the basic t h e o r y seems to have remained in a r a t h e r illogical and u n s a t i s f a c t o r y state. T h e purpose of this paper is to present a rigorous t h e o r y for T E M waves guided by a n y form of cylindrical conductors. A new equation is developed which gives simple solutions for even t h e most complicated coordinate systems.
GENERAL SOLUTION

Consider an orthogonal cylindrical coordinate system (u 1, u 2, u3), with u 3 (or z) parallel to the generators of the cylinders. Metric coefficients are gn, g~2, g33. It is well known (1) 3 t h a t gn and g22 for a n y cylindrical coordinate s y s t e m are i n d e p e n d e n t of z, and t h a t g33 is always u n i t y :
g. = g l l ( u l , uO, g ~ = g . ~ ( . l , u~), g ~ -- 1. (1)

Consider a waveguide consisting of two metal cylinders, u I --- a and u I = b, insulated from each o t h e r and conforming to coordinate surfaces of the family u 1 = const. T h e metal m u s t be assumed perfectly cond u c t i n g ; otherwise no T E M w a v e is possible. T h e dielectric is homogeneous, isotropic, uncharged, and lossless. A t z = 0, a sinusoidal emf. is applied between the cylinders, giving the b o u n d a r y conditions,
D e p a r t m e n t of Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. D e p a r t m e n t of Mathematics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn. 3 The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references appended to this paper. 325

326

PARRY MOON AND DOMINA EBERLE SPENCER f:=0

k-

[J. F. I.

and and

ul=a,
u 1 = b,

~=

~]2Vei~t;
(2)

~ = 0.

For a T E M wave with such a guide, both E and t t are in the u~u splane and

E = a,E1(u', u s, u 3, t),

H = asH2(u 1, u 2, u 3, t),

(3)

where ax and as are unit vectors. F u r t h e r m o r e , the s t e a d y - s t a t e a-c. solutions are sinusoidal functions of time and m a y be written
E 1 = ~ 2 E l * e i~t,

H 2 = 42H2*e '~'.

(4)

Here E~* and H~* are, in general, complex numbers. T h e wave equation then reduces to the vector Helmholtz equation,

.
the v e c t o r Laplacian being

El* + ~,.~EI* = 0,

(5)

E --- grad div E - curl curl E. M a k i n g use of the expression (2) for the vector Laplacian in general curvilinear coordinates, we rewrite Eq. 5 as

~O-u'

g4g--1-1~l~g,sOu' (~g22Ex*)
+ ~

+ 4---g~20u .~/gngs-----Ou s s

Ou8L ~ g n Ou3

But, b y Maxwell's equations, = 1 0

+ ~

E~*

)/

= 0,

(6)

[o
+ a~

o o I/ =

]
- i~o.H*. (7)

[o ~

(e,~. Es*) - ~ . , (e,~. E,*)

Oct., 1953.]

TEM

WAVES IN CYLINDRICAL SYSTEMS

327

From Eq. 6, since E2* = E3* = 0,

__ ( ~ : ) = o OU 1
and from Eq. 7,

(8)
(9) (10)

(qZ~E,*) = o,
io~gH~*.

3z

Substitution of Eqs. 8 and 9 into 5a gives

--n0*_, (u,, u~, z) + o~..E,*(ul, U~, z) = 0, Oz2

a solution of which is

(ll)

El* = f(u~, u2)e-'~'.

"(12)

But, according to Eqs. 8 and 9, 4g-~ El* is not a function of u l, and 4~--1~El* is not a function of u 2. Thus,

~,

= ~f(ul,

uge-~

~ = A Fduge-'~';',~
AFl(UOe_~V,,~,j c

(13)
Dividing

E,* = ~ g l l f ( u ' , u2)e -~7"~

where F1 and F~ are unknown functions, and A is a constant. the first of these equations by the second, we obtain
F2(u 2)

FI(ul)

- ~g~

(14)

which allows the evaluation of F1 and F2 from the known metric coefficients. Equation 14 is satisfied by any orthogonal, cylindrical coordinate system ; so there exists an infinite number of coordinate systems allowing T E M waves (1). Some of these coordinates are described in another paper (3). The solution of the Helmholtz equation is therefore
Fs(u l) . F~(u*) e_i~47,~ '

(13a)

where F1 and F2 are obtained from Eq. 14.

cg ~* E

Also, from Eq. 10,

328
or

PARRY MOON A N D

DOMINA

EBERLE

SPENCER

[J. F. I.

H:* = EI*/Zo,

(15)

where Z0 is the i n t r i n s i c i m p e d a n c e : Z0
=

~'#/~.

The constant A of Eq. 13a is evaluated by use of the boundary conditions. A t z = 0,

V =
or

f:

El*ds = A

--

(~'gn dut),

X!gn V
A = b

(16)

Fl(ul)d,~ '

The E-vector at any point in the dielectric is

E = alx'} E l * e ~t

F1 = alx2 A ~ (ztl) e i'~('-va") so the wave is propagated always at the velocity of light:
Ye

(17)

= 1/x'eg.

r-

There is no cut off and there is no attenuation at any frequency. According to Eq. 15, the H-vector is always in time phase with the E-vector. The above general conclusions are, of course, well-known; but the simple formulas, Eqs. 14 and 13a, are believed to be new. They give a convenient way of writing E and H by inspection for the T E M wave on any given cylindrical waveguide. The equations are even simpler for a cylindrical coordinate system where gxl g22. This category includes (3) all cylindrical systems obtained directly from complexplane transformations. Then F1 and F2 become unity by Eq. 14, and
=

El*= where A is given by Eq. 16.

A,__ e_i,,,4g
~/g I 1

~,

(13b)

SPECIAL CASES

(I) As an example, consider the transmission line consisting of two concentric metal cylinders, Fig. 1. Circular-cylinder coordinates

Oct., I953.]

TEM

WAVES IN CYLINDRICAL SYSTEMS

32 9

(r, ~k, z) are employed, and

gn = 1, According to Eq. 14, g22 = r ~.

F~(~b) ~-g~22=r"
Therefore,

Fx

1/r,

F~ = 1.

tY
\
\

/ //

..

l-----+
L

X" ./

,/
\
\

iI ~ ' ~ . .

FIG. i.

The E-vector is always radial, and its magnitude varies inversely as the radius. The constant A is obtained from Eq. 16 :

V A = fbdr
J a I"

V
In (b/a)

330

PARRY MOON .AND DOMINA ]~BERLE SPENCER

[J

_ - ~_ . i F-t/ /

>(~

-<\

, .c

iliU,
~ ;---~ x

,'

t-/:

~---f--x

-x

L. ~

"

"\

, !

-f--t
('I,/

@)

FI~. 2.

Oct., I953. ]

TEM

W A V E S IN CYLINDRICAL SYSTEMS
-I-

33I

-i

Fro. 3.

Therefore,

t Er* -

r In

V e -io,47~~, (b/a)

(18)

H~* = E , * / Z o . ( I 1 ) As a second example, we have the familiar case of two parallel circular-cylinder guides. T h r e e possibilities are indicated in Fig. 2. Bicylindrical coordinates (7, 0, z) are employed, with
c2

gll

g~2

(cosh ~ -- cos 0) 2.

Since the two metric coefficients are equal, F1 = F2 = 1 and Eq. 16 gives V A ~-- - b--a Thus, b y Eq. 13b, E,* = V ( c o s h y - cos0)
c(b -

a)

e -~'47.~,

(19)

Ho* = E , * / Z o .

332

PARRY MOON AND D O M I N A

EBERLE

SPENCER

[J, |;. I

( I I I ) A third configuration is shown in Fig. 3. Waves are propagated along complanar metal strips or other coordinate surfaces of the system (3) c x = ~sn~dnu,

y = ~ cn# dn# snu cnu,

Z:Z,

where A = 1 -- dn2# sn2~. Metric coefficients are glx = g22 = ~ (1 -- sn2# dn2v)(dn=v - k 2 sn2u). T h u s E* and H* for a T E M wave are I E.* = V(1 -- dn2/~ sn=v) c(b - a)4(1 - s n ~ dn2v) (dn2v - k 2 sn2u) [H~* = E~*/Zo.
62

(20)

Waveguides conforming to other coordinate systems are handled similarly. A list of metric coefficients for ten coordinate systems (3) is given in Table I.
THE

QUASIPOTENTIAL

The general subject of T E M waves is considered in the excellent books of Rarno and Whinnery (4), and Slater (5). In both cases, however, the t r e a t m e n t is in terms of rectangular coordinates, in which boundary conditions for non-rectangular guides are not easily formulated. R a m o and W h i n n e r y separate the term 02E*/Oz 2 from the vector Laplacian, obtaining the equation v2E* (u,, u2) = o. This looks so much like Laplace's equation
V~ = O,

(21)

t h a t t h e y conclude, "the field distribution in the transverse plane is exactly a static distribution." T h e difficulty is t h a t Eq. 21 refers to the vector Laplacian, while Laplace's equation applies to the scalar Laplacian (2). Even when the vector possesses one c o m p o n e n t only, the two Laplacians are still different, except in special cases. Slater introduces a sort of ad hoc potential , t h o u g h the ordinary scalar potential of electrostatics is inapplicable. Slater's t r e a t m e n t can

O c t . , I953.] TABLE
No,

TEM

WAVES

IN

CYLINDRICAL

SYSTEMS

333

I.--Metric Coefficients for a Few Cylindrical Coordinate Systems

Equations Metric Coefficients g n = g2.~ = (~2 + v2)-~

Name Tangent-cylinder coordinates

p p2 + v2 ,,
Y p2 + v=

(u, ,,, ~)

Parabolic-cylinder coordinates (~, v, z) Cardioid-cylinder coordinates

x = (u 2 - - vs), y = uv.

gu

g22 =

#2 +

v=

1 #2 _ v2 x = 2 (u z + v~)s '

g n = g=.~ = (u = + v2) -a

(u, ~, z)

~
:y = (us + v~)~

Hyperbolic-cylinder coordinates (#, p, z)

x = ~/o + u, Y = ~/o where

p

ell

g2=

#,

2~1~+

v=

= + 4~

+ v2.
gll = g22 = e 2~

Circular-cylinder coordinates

x = e" c o s 4~, y = e~ s i n q,.

(~, ~, z)
Bicylindrical coordinates (~, 0, z) Y Elliptic-cylinder coordinates c sinh n cosh n - cos O ' c sin 0 cosh n -- cos 0 g n = g22 = c2(cosh2 n - - c o s 2 0)
Cs

x -

g n = g22 = ( c o s h n -

c o s 0) 2

x = c c o s h n c o s 0, y = c s i n h n sin 0.

(~, 0, ~.)
(n, 0, z)
x

c cosh n cos 0
c o s h 2 7/ - - s i n 2 0 '

gll

g22 =

c 2 ( c o s h 2 n - c o s ~ 0) ( c o s h 2 n - sin s 0) s

c sinh n sin 0 Y =cosh 2n-sin =0

62

c sn(/*, k ) - d n ( v , k ' ) , c y = ~ c n # d n # Shy c n v , where A = 1 - - d n 2 # sn2v. 10

C

g n = g*~ = ~

(1 -

sn*j,

dn=~,)

( d n h , - - k ~ sn~#)

( P t V7 g)

x = Xcn(#,
C

k).cn(v, k'),

g u = g2= = ~-/(sn=v + s n ~ cn~v) (dn2v - - k 2 sn2~)

C2

y = ~ ~n# d n p s n v d n v .

334

PARRY MOON AND D O M I N A EBERLE SPENCER

[J. 1;. {.

be brought into better alignment with established m a t h e m a t i c s by using the familiar quasipotential q?. The necessary and sufficient condition (6) for the existence of a quasipotential is E*.curl E* = 0. The quasipotential is defined by the relation,
E* = 1

(22)

us, us)

v,I,,

(23)

where ~" is a weighting function and where the quasipotential satisfies Laplace's equation, VS~ = O. (24) For a T E M wave,
E * = a l E l * ( u 1, u s, u 3 ) ;

and, from Eq. 7, curlE*= a2 0--~ - a~ ~!gOus

Since E* is in the ul-direction while curl E* lies in a uSu3-surface, the two are always orthogonal and Eq. 22 is satisfied. Therefore, a quasipotential always exists for a T E M wave. T h e E*-vector has only one component, so Eq. 23 becomes
El* = -~/gl~ au~ '

10~

Oq~

OuS

Oq~

au3

- O.

(25)

Laplace's equation in generalized coordinates is

i=I Ou~

gii Oui

and by use of Eq. 25,

du ~ \l-g~.dul) = 0.

(24b)

To utilize this m e t h o d for T E M waves with any cylindrical coordinate system, we obtain the quasipotential by solving E*cl. 24b. The quasipotential is constant over a metal surface, just as the scalar potential is constant in electrostatics; but El* is known to vary in the z-direction as e-i~,/~-. Thus, for any waveguide with T E M wave,
1 - = e-i,~ ~. (26)

Oct., I953.1

TEM

WAVES IN CYLINDRICAL SYSTEMS

335

T h e electric field strength El* is, therefore, El* = 1 dO ~lg n -u~ e -i'4;;'. *. (25a)

In circular-cylinder coordinates, for example, Eq. 24b becomes d2 1 d'I' dr 2 + r dr = O, whose complete solution is
O=Alnr+B.

B o u n d a r y conditions are
=b,

,I, = O.

These conditions evaluate A and B, giving as solution,

V - lnj/o/'*'a In (b/r). ~

(27)

F r o m Eq. 25a, d+ V Er* = - - - e-~4;d ~ = e -i~4;~.,~. dr r In (b/a) Similarly, for bicylindrical guides, Eq. 24b is
d2ap d~l 2
-O,

(18)

with solution
~-b-a

V - -

(b - 7 ) .
C2

(28)

Since gll 1
E.* = 4~
= g22 -----

(cosh ~/ -- cos 0) 2, V(cosh ~/ - cos O) e_iO,/7~,.

= c(b a)

V
(b ~)

e_i~,/7~,

(19)

An infinite n u m b e r of other configurations can be handled in the same way. T h e foregoing pages have outlined two v e r y simple w a y s of treating the t h e o r y of T E M waves guided b y cylindrical conductors. T h e first

336

PARRY MOON AND DOMINA EBERLE SPENCER

[J. tv. I.

method works directly with the E-vector and the vector Laplacian ; the second introduces a scalar quasipotential, from which the E-vector is obtained. Both methods are rigorously correct and constitute a logical advance over previous general theory of T E M waves.
REFERENCES

(1) PARRYMOONAND D. E. SPENCER, "Separability Conditions for the Laplace and Helmholtz Equations," JOUR. FRANKLININST., Vol. 253, p. 585 (1952) ; "Theorems on Separability in Riemannian n-space," Am. Math. Soc. Proc., Vol. 3, p. 635 (1952). (2) PARRYMOONAND D. E. SPENCER,"The Meaning of the Vector Laplacian," to be published in this JOURNAL. (3) PARRY MOON AND D. E. SPENCER, "Cylindrical and Rotational Coordinate Systems," J. FRANKLININST., Vol. 252, p. 327 (1951). (4) S. RAMOAND J. R. WHINNERY, "Fields and Waves in Modern Radio," New York, John Wiley and Sons, 1944, p. 302. (5) J. C. SLATER,"Microwave Transmission," New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1942, p. 154. (6) H. B. PHILLIPS, "Vector Analysis," New York, John Wiley and Sons, 1933, p. 102.