High-frequency electromagnetic surface waves in a semi-bounded weakly ionized plasma

High-frequency electromagnetic surface waves (SWs) in a weakly ionized plasma half-space with Maxwellian electrons are studied taking into account elastic electron-neutral collisions. The SWs spectrum and damping rate are obtained numerically for a wide range of wavelengths, and the asymptotes of damping rate are analytically calculated in some limits. It is shown that the high-frequency SWs become strongly damped at wavelengths λ<λMin, where λMin significantly depends on plasma parameters (e.g., electron temperature and electron and neutral atom density). The relative importance of collisional and Cherenkov (collisionless) damping of SWs is investigated and is graphically shown for a range of plasma parameters and SW wavelengths. The behavior of weakly ionized plasma with respect to the SW propagation has been recovered for the collisional parameter η.