SH surface waves in a homogeneous gradient-elastic half-space with surface energy (Q1373192)

The authors use the theory of gradient elasticity and the surface effects to model the equations of motion in a homogeneous elastic half-space. The horizontally polarized shear surface waves are then considered by applying the integral transforms to the field equation. The dispersion equation for the surface waves is obtained, and it is shown that a single mode of SH waves may exist as opposed to the case of inhomogeneous elastic half-space model where an infinite number of modes is predicted. The authors note that SH surface waves fail to exist in a homogeneous half-space in the frame of the classical theory of elasticity.