Absorption and transformation of electrostatic surface waves in the transition layer of a magneto-active plasma

We investigate electrostatic surface-wave damping in strongly inhomogeneous magneto-active plasma with collisions. We demonstrate that such damping occurs at wave frequencies close to the natural (hybrid) frequencies of the plasma oscillations. We obtain dispersion equations and expressions for the damping coefficients of surface waves propagating along (i) the interface of semi-infinite plasmas, (ii) a plane plasma layer, and (iii) a vacuum layer in the plasma. We also study the linear transformation of surface waves into longitudinal oscillations (concentrated in the transition layer and directed along the gradient of plasma density) caused by the initial perturbation.