Apparent Asymmetries in Electromagnetic Interaction: A "Virtual Wire" Model for Reactionless Propulsion and Preliminary Experimental Observations

This paper explores the apparent asymmetries in electromagnetic interaction forces that may manifest under specific configurations in finite-sized, non-closed, or transient current systems, seemingly contradicting classical mechanical intuition. Based on a systematic analysis of this phenomenon, particularly the third form—"carrier asymmetry"—we propose an innovative reactionless propulsion concept based on an open-circuit coil. To self-consistently address the momentum conservation of this concept within the classical electrodynamics framework, this paper originally constructs a "virtual wire" theoretical model. By introducing an ideal conductor segment with zero rest mass into the theoretical analysis, this model transforms the physical open-circuit coil into a virtual closed loop, thereby clearly linking the apparent net thrust obtained by the device to the directed electromagnetic field momentum radiation flux arising from structural symmetry breaking. To investigate the physical implications of this theoretical model, we designed and implemented two independent experimental setups for preliminary observations. Among them, the second setup employs a center-fed, open-ended toroidal drive coil and a C-shaped working coil wound with 12,000 turns of fine wire, each turn having a 70° opening. Under a drive frequency of 100 MHz, an input power of approximately 5 watts, and an effective current of about 0.3 A, direction-reversal experiments (with the opening facing east, south, west, and north) and stationary control experiments observed reproducible displacement consistent with the predicted direction, with the corresponding estimated net thrust on the order of 10⁻⁴ N. Tracker video analysis reveals that the displacement exhibits a build-up lag and decay tail on the order of seconds, consistent with the theoretical predictions of the near-field momentum storage mechanism. Error analysis and statistical tests further confirm the reliability of the observed effect. From phenomenon analysis and model construction to preliminary experimental exploration, this paper aims to provide a self-consistent theoretical perspective and motivational experimental reference for exploring novel propulsion mechanisms within the classical theoretical framework.