Conditions are obtained for the existence of a fast-moving surface electromagnetic wave (with a speed close to the speed of light in the vacuum) on a flat interface between the vacuum and an isotropic dissipative medium with a permittivity ε = ε′ + iε". The interfaces considered include vacuum—seawater, vacuum—metal, vacuum—plasma, and vacuum—dielectric. Conditions for the existence of negligibly damped surface waves are considered for extremely high (vacuum—seawater, vacuum—metal) and very low (vacuum—plasma, vacuum—dielectric) ε" values. It is shown that at least in these two limit cases, the phase wave velocity V_p and the group wave velocity V_g pass synchronously through the speed of light c in the vacuum, which can be considered the reason why surface waves exist at the interface between the vacuum and a collisionless plasma (with ε′ < −1 and V_{p, g} < c) and do not exist at the interface between the vacuum and a weakly absorbing dielectric (with ε′ > 1 and V_{p, g} > c). In the first limit case, it is shown that both the phase and group velocities pass c at ε′ = −3/4, implying that a surface wave exists at the vacuum—metal interface (with ε′ < −3/4), but that a surface wave (Zenneck’s wave) cannot exist at the vacuum—seawater interface (with ε′ > −3/4).

PACS: 41.20.Jb, 78.68.+m (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.0182.201211f.1205 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2012/11/e/ 000314808600005 2-s2.0-84873928467 2012PhyU...55.1124K Citation: Kukushkin A V, Rukhadze A A, Rukhadze K Z "On the existence conditions for a fast surface wave" Phys. Usp. 55 1124–1133 (2012) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 27th, March 2011, revised: 14th, July 2011, accepted: 12th, October 2011 Оригинал: Кукушкин А В, Рухадзе А А, Рухадзе К З «Об условиях существования быстрой поверхностной волны» УФН 182 1205–1215 (2012); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0182.201211f.1205