The Response of a Terminated Two-Wire Line Buried in the Earth and Excited by a Plane-Wave RE Field Generated in Free Space

A terminated two-wire transmission line is buried at constant depth near the earth-air interface with one conductor directly below the other. A plane-wave electromagnetic field, generated in free space, impinges upon the boundary where it undergoes partial reflection and transmission. The field transmitted into the earth excites the transmission line. The polarization of the electric field is chosen such that the field is directed parallel to the line conductors. The interaction of the line with the dispersive medium and the line losses are considered. The objective of the study is to determine the current in specified load impedances in terms of the amplitude of the incident electric field evaluated at the surface of the earth.