Topband: "return" current - what is it?

[Tom W8JI]

> Sooo, there is no current and voltage variation along the standing wave
> resonant dipole?
> Soooo, Jasik et al, all those antenna books, modeling programs showing
> RF CURRENT and/or RF VOLTAGE distribution along the (standing wave)
> solid antenna wire are thinking otherwise?
> Like parallel LC circuit (say in amplifier) or RF choke doesn't have
> high RF voltage (low current) at one end and vice versa on the other
> end?
> Hint: take the neon bulb and slide it along the RF radiator. On the
> resonant circuit you would see brightest light at the tip (hig voltage,
> low current) with brightness diminishing towards the feed point (dipole)
> or RF grounded end. The current is just opposite, lowest at the tip,
> highest at the feedpoint. IT VARIES along the length of even solid wire!
> Applying Kirchoff to wrong case and arguing against reality is just
> misleading.

Yuri,

Kirchhoff's laws apply to ANY system when we include displacement currents.

Displacement currents and Kirchhoff's laws have been around since the 
1800's. As far as I know, you are the only one ever steadfastly arguing 
against existance of displacement current. Inclusion of displacement current 
makes Kirchoff's laws applicable to open ended antennas and time-varying 
charges.

We seriously handicap ourselves when we think Kirchhoff's laws are only 
applicable to closed dc circuits.

73 Tom