Abstract-The approximate distribution of the current density induced on the tape surface by guided electromagnetic waves supported by an infinite open tape helix is estimated from an exact solution of a homogenous boundary value problem for Maxwell's equations. It is shown that the magnitude of the surface current density component perpendicular to the winding direction is at least three orders of magnitude smaller than that of the surface current density component parallel to the winding direction everywhere on the tape surface. Also, the magnitude and phase distribution for the surface current density components parallel and perpendicular to the winding direction are seen to be nearly uniform at all frequencies corresponding to real values of the propagation constant.

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