Caduceus Coil (Smith Coil)

Overview

The Caduceus coil (named by Wilbert Smith, ca. 1952) is deceptively simple: two windings on the same ferrite or air core, wound helically in opposite directions and driven in phase. The opposing geometries cause the magnetic flux of one winding to cancel that of the other throughout the core length, while the scalar potential associated with each winding adds constructively. Smith documented anomalous transmission effects — signals propagating through the null-field region of the coil without conventional induction — that he attributed to a "tempic field" (a scalar EM subcomponent he theorized). The build is accessible; the measurement protocols to distinguish genuine scalar effects from residual stray fields are the technical challenge. Plan includes shielded test chamber design and null-detection methodology.

Intended Research Use