INITIAL CONDITIONS, REFLECTION AND TRANSMISSION COEFFICIENTS REVISITED

Reflection and transmission coefficients for an electromagnetic wave a re usually computed using the frequency representation: a monochromati c plane wave decomposition [1-2]. Even though this method is a powerfu l tool, the physical meaning can be hidden by some mathematical comple xity coming from Fourier integrals, complex analysis and matrix manipu lation. Furthermore, the Maxwell equations, when the fields are only d ependent on x and t, are very simple and can be solved using elementar y calculation [3]. It will be shown that the physical propagation mech anism, which includes initial conditions, transmission and reflection, can be completely built up within the space-time, rather than in the frequency domain. This would shed a new light on traditional well know n results.