The theory of the interaction of an electromagnetic wave with a uniformly moving ionization front in a gas is extended to include the case when the front suddenly stops. This nonstationary character of the wave/front interaction, which is typical for experiments carried out in a finite-size gas tube, gives rise to fresh physical effects. First, currents induced near the plasma boundary after the front stops produce a static magnetic field not only in the plasma behind the front but also in the vacuum ahead of the front. Second, in the regime where the transmitted wave falls off behind the front, the skinning field leaks through the stopped front and produces a burst of highly frequency up-shifted radiation.

• Received 3 November 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.66.026404