Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
The CMA diagram as a means for classifying electromagnetic waves propagating in cold plasmas is generalized to include boundaries on which the ray surface, rather than the refractive index or wave normal surface, undergoes topological changes. Since the ray surface has the shape of a wavefront for a wave originating from a point source, such boundaries are of importance in understanding wave behaviour. Formulae are presented applying to the case of a cold plasma including the effect of positive ions. Calculations are presented for the special casea hydrogen plasma.