Acoustics of solids (Q4040216)

Acoustics of solids has become a topic of considerable interest in recent years: the study of wave propagation in solid media is used to investigate a large number of different topics, e.g. non-destructive testing, biomedical applications, composite materials, etc. This book -- restricting its view almost exclusively to the linear theory at an intermediate level of mathematical complexity -- focuses on physically meaningful theoretical models, not on mathematical techniques. It is divided into five parts: dynamic behaviour of materials and structures, bulk elastic and visco-elastic waves in unbounded isotropic and anisotropic media, effects of boundaries and wave guides and wave-obstacle interactions, e.g. in composites. The author succeeds admirably in his aim to give a state of the art- presentation of his subject at an intermediate, introductory level.