  The local field approach and kinetic equation method is applied to calculate
the surface plasmon radiative damping in a spheroidal metal nanoparticle
embedded in any dielectric media. The radiative damping of the surface plasmon
resonance as a function of the particle radius, shape, dielectric constant of
the surrounding medium and the light frequency is studied in detail. It is
found that the radiative damping grows quadratically with the particle radius
and oscillates with altering both the particle size and the dielectric constant
of a surrounding medium. Much attention is paid to the electron
surface-scattering contribution to the plasmon decay. All calculations of the
radiative damping are illustrated by examples on the Au and Na nanoparticles.
