Free and forced vibrations of the cranial vault: Study of a mathematical model (Q1108913)

The authors have developed a mathematical model of free and forced vibrations of the cranial vault by considering a three-layered structure of skull e.g. the outer table, diploë and the inner table. The elastic behaviour of each of the layers is considered to be anisotropic. The brain matter which is contained in the skull is assumed to be inviscid and irrotational. Four different pulse shapes, viz. (i) square pulse, (ii) half-sine pulse, (iii) triangular pulse and (iv) skewed impact pulse have been considered with particular emphasis. The analysis is divided into two parts e.g. (i) a situation in which the outer surface of the skull is free of tractions and (ii) a mathematical analysis for the dynamic response of the cranial system induced by the application of an impulsive load on the outer surface of the skull. The authors have performed computational work by considering a specific numerical example with the aim of illustrating the validity of the mathematical model.