Force exerted on particle bunch propagating near plasma-vacuum boundary

If a charged particle bunch propagates near a plasma-vacuum boundary, it excites a surface wave and experiences a force caused by the boundary. For the linearly responding plasma and ultra-relativistic bunch, the spatial distribution of excited fields is calculated, and the force exerted on a short and narrow bunch is approximated by elementary functions. The force attracts the bunch to the boundary, if the bunch is in the vacuum, and repels otherwise. There are also additional focusing and defocusing components of the force. (paper)