High frequency asymptotic solutions of the reduced wave equation on infinite regions with nonconvex boundaries (Q1354716)

Summary: The asymptotic behavior as \(\lambda\to\infty\) of the function \(U(x,\lambda)\) that satisfies the reduced wave equation \[ L_\lambda[U]= \nabla\cdot(E(x)\nabla U)+ \lambda^2N^2(x)U= 0 \] on an infinite three-dimensional region, a Dirichlet condition on \(\partial V\), and an outgoing radiation condition is investigated. A function \(U_N(x,\lambda)\) is constructed that is a global approximate solution as \(\lambda\to\infty\) of the problem satisfied by \(U(x,\lambda)\). An estimate for \(W_N(x,\lambda)= U(x,\lambda)- U_N(x,\lambda)\) on \(V\) is obtained, which implies that \(U_N(x,\lambda)\) is a uniform asymptotic approximation of \(U(x,\lambda)\) as \(\lambda\to\infty\), with an error that tends to zero as rapidly as \(\lambda^{-N}\) \((N=1,2,3,\dots)\). This is done by applying a priori estimates of the function \(W_N(x,\lambda)\) in terms of its boundary values, and the \(L_2\) norm of \(rL_\lambda[W_N(x,\lambda)]\) on \(V\). It is assumed that \(E(x)\), \(N(x)\), \(\partial V\), and the boundary data are smooth, that \(E(x)-I\) and \(N(x)-1\) tend to zero algebraically fast as \(r\to\infty\), and finally that \(E(x)\) and \(N(x)\) are slowly varying; \(\partial V\) may be finite or infinite. The solution \(U(x,\lambda)\) can be interpreted as a scalar potential of a high frequency acoustic or electromagnetic field radiating from the boundary of an impenetrable object of general shape. The energy of the field propagates through an inhomogeneous, anisotropic medium; the rays along which it propages may form caustics. The approximate solution (potential) derived in this paper is defined on and in a neighbourhood of any such caustic, and can be used to connect local ``geometric optics'' type approximate solutions that hold on caustic free subsets of \(V\).