Propagation of dilatational waves in stratified media and mode transfer at interfaces (Q1341920)

The reflection, refraction and transmission of dilatational waves through stratified media is studied by numerical simulation and spectral analysis. A simple numerical scheme is presented which is able to trace the progress of excitations through inhomogeneous media. The generation of evanescent waves and conversion of dilatation to torsion waves at material interfaces or discontinuities in structures is discussed. The energy flux conversion between dilatation and torsion and the associated power dissipation at material interfaces of a range of practical composites of use for underwater sound control are discussed. The constitutive material law is based on the Hookean-Kelvin model and is generalized for plasticity.