Definition: | the limit of the natural logarithm of the ratio of values at a given frequency of a specified component of electromagnetic field at two points aligned in the direction of propagation of a guided or plane wave, or of a wave practically plane in a limited space domain, divided by the distance between the two points when this distance tends to zero
NOTE – The propagation coefficient is a complex quantity usually a function of frequency, and has the dimension of reciprocal length. The real part, the attenuation coefficient, is usually expressed in Np/m and the imaginary part, the phase-change coefficient, is expressed in rad/m.
|