Paper 2, Section II, A

Waves
Part II, 2019

The linearised equation of motion governing small disturbances in a homogeneous elastic medium of density ρ\rho is

ρ2ut2=(λ+μ)(u)+μ2u\rho \frac{\partial^{2} \mathbf{u}}{\partial t^{2}}=(\lambda+\mu) \nabla(\boldsymbol{\nabla} \cdot \mathbf{u})+\mu \nabla^{2} \mathbf{u}

where u(x,t)\mathbf{u}(\mathbf{x}, t) is the displacement, and λ\lambda and μ\mu are the Lamé moduli.

(a) The medium occupies the region between a rigid plane boundary at y=0y=0 and a free surface at y=hy=h. Show that SHS H waves can propagate in the xx-direction within this region, and find the dispersion relation for such waves.

(b) For each mode, deduce the cutoff frequency, the phase velocity and the group velocity. Plot the latter two velocities as a function of wavenumber.

(c) Verify that in an average sense (to be made precise), the wave energy flux is equal to the wave energy density multiplied by the group velocity.

[You may assume that the elastic energy per unit volume is given by

Ep=12λeiiejj+μeijeij]\left.E_{p}=\frac{1}{2} \lambda e_{i i} e_{j j}+\mu e_{i j} e_{i j} \cdot\right]