Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
The dispersion properties and electromagnetic field topography of surface waves propagating along and in the azimuthal direction with respect to a cylindrical metal antenna immersed in a magneto-active plasma are investigated. The external magnetic field is directed along the antenna axis. The presence of a vacuum-gap sheath region separating the antenna from the plasma is assumed. The sheathless case is also considered. The dependence of the surface-wave dispersion properties on magnetic field intensity, plasma density, antenna radius and sheath thickness is presented for structure parameters close to experimental data. The results show qualitative agreement between our theory and experiment. The antenna surface impedance is calculated as well.