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Abstract
The interaction of electromagnetic waves with the material in which they propagate through is well described by Maxwell's equations and the associated constitutive equations that include the permittivity, the permeability, and the electric conductivity of the material. In this paper, we introduce a mathematical model for the electromagnetic conductivity of lossy media. A hypothetical magnetic conductivity term is added to Maxwell's equations and solutions for the electric and magnetic field strengths of a plane (TEM) wave travelling through a lossy medium are derived. The propagation constant that characterizes the lossy medium is expressed in terms of a complex parameter referred to as the electromagnetic conductivity of the material. The electromagnetic conductivity is a function of the electric conductivity, the hypothetical magnetic conductivity, permittivity, permeability, and the angular frequency. Setting the magnetic conductivity to zero reduces the electromagnetic conductivity to the electric conductivity of the lossy medium. The electromagnetic loss tangent of the material is also derived as a function of the electric loss tangent and the magnetic loss tangent.