Non-parametric identification of viscoelastic materials from wave propagatio experiments (Q5932265)

The authors investigate how the frequency-dependent wave propagation coefficient and complex modulus for a linear viscoelastic material can be estimated from wave propagation experiments. The strains at different sections of a bar specimen are measured as functions of time. The time series are transformed into the frequency domain, where a non-parametric identification is made. A thorough analysis of the quality of the non-parametric estimate is performed, and approximate expressions for the covariance matrices of the wave propagation coefficient and the complex modulus are derived. The validity of these expressions are confirmed by numerical studies and real experiments.