[Phys-L] wire grid versus capacitor plate. was WAN in a Cage
John's recent note on the shielding effect of wire cages eventually reminded me
of a Langley lab experiment from fifty-two years ago.
This investigated sensing disturbances to a 15 meter diameter wire mesh spun
circle intended to use as a radio reflector in space.There was a proposal to
use a capacitive sensor, but the spun mesh was so low-solidity that there was
some doubt whether a sensor plate could provide adequate capacitance to sense
its variation with mesh vibrations.It went without saying that capacitance is
proportional to plate area and inverse separation - except Richard deLoach
found it just ain't so!
Here is a pointer. I hope you find it as interesting as I did....
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19710023921/downloads/19710023921.pdf