Longitudional electro magnetic waves and linear polarisation

AI Thread Summary
Longitudinal electromagnetic (EM) waves differ from linearly polarized waves, as the latter are transverse waves where electric and magnetic fields oscillate perpendicularly to the direction of propagation. In contrast, longitudinal waves can occur under specific conditions, such as in plasmas or confined spaces, where the wave's electric or magnetic field components align with the direction of propagation. Maxwell's equations primarily predict transverse EM waves in free space, while longitudinal waves may arise in certain environments. Heaviside's work further clarified that longitudinal EM waves are not typically found in homogeneous media. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for applications in antenna theory and wave propagation.
h3x3n
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Hello,
Are longitudinal EM waves ( I know they exist) any different from linearly polarised waves we learn about in antennae theory

Just to be clear http://www.antenna-theory.com/basics/polarization.php defines linear polarisation pretty clearly in the context i am talking about
 
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yes.

As your link indicates, polarized waves are transverse waves', Longitudional waves are not. EM waves are transverse except under special constraints:

[Maxwell's equations lead to the prediction of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum, which are transverse (in that the electric fields and magnetic fields vary perpendicularly to the direction of propagation).[2] However, waves can exist in plasmas or confined spaces, called plasma waves, which can be longitudinal, transverse, or a mixture of both.[2][3] .....
After Heaviside's attempts to generalize Maxwell's equations, Heaviside came to the conclusion that electromagnetic waves were not to be found as longitudinal waves in "free space" or homogeneous media.[5] But Maxwell's equations do lead to the appearance of longitudinal waves under some circumstances, for example, in plasma waves or guided waves...QUOTE]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitudinal_electromagnetic_wave#Electromagnetic

In electrodynamics, linear polarization or plane polarization of electromagnetic radiation is a confinement of the electric field vector or magnetic field vector to a given plane along the direction of propagation.
 
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