phase constant


phase constant

[′fāz ‚kän·stənt] (electromagnetism) A rating for a line or medium through which a plane wave of a given frequency is being transmitted; it is the imaginary part of the propagation constant, and is the space rate of decrease of phase of a field component (or of the voltage or current) in the direction of propagation, in radians per unit length. Also known as phase-change coefficient; wavelength constant.