On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:39:57 -0700, Frank Gilliland
wrote:

The energy in a coax travels on the conductors -and- in the dielectric
-and- within the magnetic fields. The propogation delay of a line is
the combined phase delays of distributed capacitance -and- distributed
inductance in the line. The dielectric constant only -seems- to be the
determining factor of coax propogation delay because the conductors
are straight. IOW, if you replace the center conductor with a coil you
will introduce an additional propogation delay into the coax which is
-independent- of the dielectric constant (and will have constructed a
device known to us old farts as a 'helical resonantor'). Regardless,
it has no relevance to this discussion.
*****

Well the dielectric constant does have a direct effect on the
capacitance as well as the spacing between the two conductors. Still
the TEM wave propogates through the dielectric and induces currents in
the center and outer conductor. Propogation of a TEM wave can be
mathematically describe by the Pyonting Vector. The TEM wave is an
alternating E and H field.

The currents induced into the conductors have depth only to that of
sigma or the skin depth. I am not sure a coiled center conductor would
introduce anymore delays than a solid or even stranded center
conductor. On face evidence it would seem that it might but only if
the coil's turns per inch were suffieciently low enough as to not
appear to the traveling wave as a solid conductor.

james