Cecil Moore wrote:

Jim Kelley wrote:

But some folks have argued descriptions of physical phenomena derived
from an assumption that the number displayed on the calculator
physically propagates through a transmission line, physically reflects
off the ends of the transmission line or other discontinuities, and
physically interferes with itself or other numbers like it.


If you think that's what I said, you are suffering from delusions.

Perhaps I was deluded by all your arguing about it. :-)

Power components do not interfere.

Glad you finally agree.

It is the E-fields and H-fields
that do the interferring.

Is there an echo in here?

However, given the interference of two
coherent waves traveling in the same direction, the following
power equation is valid.

Ptotal = P1 + P2 + 2*sqrt(P1*P2)cos(phi)
where phi is the phase angle between the two E-fields.

Right. That's simply because P is proportional to E^2.

The last
term in that equation is well known as the "interference term".

Basically, yes. Two times the product of the two fields is the
interference term. The product of two things which don't interfere is
probably inappropriately referred to as an interference term.

If cos(phi) is negative, the interference is destructive. If
cos(phi) is positive, the interference is constructive. If an
additional source of energy is not present at the interference
point, the destructive interference must equal the constructive
interference to satisfy the conservation of energy principle.

.....and by virtue of the fact that 2*sqrt(P1*P2) = 2*sqrt(P1*P2). ;-)

Like I said before, the only disagreement that we have left is
whether dt is zero or infinitessimally small.

As I recall, my disagreement with you was about your claim that
"interference causes energy to reverse direction and go the other way".
That's what it's always been about, Cecil.

Do you still insist that's what happens? If not, then we're in
agreement - unless you disagree, of course.

Your straw men
are just straw men designed to mislead the uninitiated.

Actually the "straw men" seem to have brought you around substantially
to the correct point of view. And I really don't think anyone who's
been paying attention is misled about you, Cecil. :-)

73, ac6xg