B3.25

Waves in Fluid and Solid Media
Part II, 2004

The dispersion relation for sound waves of frequency ω\omega in a stationary, homogeneous gas is ω=ck\omega=c|\mathbf{k}|, where cc is the speed of sound and k\mathbf{k} is the wavevector. Derive the dispersion relation for sound waves of frequency ω\omega in a uniform flow with velocity U.

For a slowly-varying medium with a local dispersion relation ω=Ω(k;x,t)\omega=\Omega(\mathbf{k} ; \mathbf{x}, t), derive the ray-tracing equations

dxidt=Ωki,dkidt=Ωxi,dωdt=Ωt\frac{d x_{i}}{d t}=\frac{\partial \Omega}{\partial k_{i}}, \quad \frac{d k_{i}}{d t}=-\frac{\partial \Omega}{\partial x_{i}}, \quad \frac{d \omega}{d t}=\frac{\partial \Omega}{\partial t}

The meaning of the notation d/dtd / d t should be carefully explained.

Suppose that two-dimensional sound waves with initial wavevector (k0,l0)\left(k_{0}, l_{0}\right) are generated at the origin in a gas occupying the half-space y>0y>0. The gas has a mean velocity (γy,0)(\gamma y, 0), where 0<γ(k02+l02)120<\gamma \ll\left(k_{0}^{2}+l_{0}^{2}\right)^{\frac{1}{2}}. Show that

(a) if k0>0k_{0}>0 and l0>0l_{0}>0 then an initially upward propagating wavepacket returns to the level y=0y=0 within a finite time, after having reached a maximum height that should be identified;

(b) if k0<0k_{0}<0 and l0>0l_{0}>0 then an initially upward propagating wavepacket continues to propagate upwards for all time.

For the case of a fixed frequency disturbance comment briefly on whether or not there is a quiet zone.