Hi Richard,

My point is in complete agreement with Tom, W8JI. The only thing that
allows "current taper" is displacement current.

Conservation of charge is one of the most fundamental laws in nature.
The historical basis for referring to storage of charge in a capacitor
as "displacement current" is considered incorrect today. However, the
underlying physical science remains intact. "Current taper" means that
charge stops moving as current and becomes stored in a capacitor.
(Everything has capacitance; there is no requirement for a little lump
with two leads on it.) It is this charge storage phenomenon that is
known as displacement current.

Energy levels and losses have nothing to do with this question.

73,
Gene
W4SZ

Richard Harrison wrote:
Gene Fuller wrote:
"This is incorrect, and even Terman never said such a thing."

I had written:
"Displacement current which is the a-c current through a capacitor, that
has no a-c conduction, is not the "ONLY" thing that allows a conductor
to have a current taper." It was Tom, W8JI who shouted: "The ONLY thing
etc." I just said displacement current is NOT the only thing. Energy
level often declines between ends of a wire or coil due to losses from
radiation or dissipation in the wire or coil. Tom is mistaken.