Paper 2, Section II, 39B

Waves
Part II, 2020

Small displacements u(x,t)\mathbf{u}(\mathbf{x}, t) in a homogeneous elastic medium are governed by the equation

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

where ρ\rho is the density, and λ\lambda and μ\mu are the Lamé constants.

(a) Show that the equation supports two types of harmonic plane-wave solutions, u=Aexp[i(kxωt)]\mathbf{u}=\mathbf{A} \exp [i(\mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{x}-\omega t)], with distinct wavespeeds, cPc_{P} and cSc_{S}, and distinct polarizations. Write down the direction of the displacement vector A for a PP-wave, an SVS V-wave and an SHS H-wave, in each case for the wavevector (k,0,m)(k, 0, m).

(b) Given kk and cc, with c>cP(>cS)c>c_{P}\left(>c_{S}\right), explain how to construct a superposition of PP-waves with wavenumbers (k,0,mP)\left(k, 0, m_{P}\right) and (k,0,mP)\left(k, 0,-m_{P}\right), such that

u(x,z,t)=eik(xct)(f1(z),0,if3(z))\mathbf{u}(x, z, t)=e^{i k(x-c t)}\left(f_{1}(z), 0, i f_{3}(z)\right)

where f1(z)f_{1}(z) is an even function, and f1f_{1} and f3f_{3} are both real functions, to be determined. Similarly, find a superposition of SVS V-waves with u\mathbf{u} again in the form ()(*).

(c) An elastic waveguide consists of an elastic medium in H<z<H-H<z<H with rigid boundaries at z=±Hz=\pm H. Using your answers to part (b), show that the waveguide supports propagating eigenmodes that are a mixture of PP - and SVS V-waves, and have dispersion relation c(k)c(k) given by

atan(akH)=tan(bkH)b, where a=(c2cP21)1/2 and b=(c2cS21)1/2a \tan (a k H)=-\frac{\tan (b k H)}{b}, \quad \text { where } \quad a=\left(\frac{c^{2}}{c_{P}^{2}}-1\right)^{1 / 2} \quad \text { and } \quad b=\left(\frac{c^{2}}{c_{S}^{2}}-1\right)^{1 / 2}

Sketch the two sides of the dispersion relationship as functions of cc. Explain briefly why there are infinitely many solutions.