Inhomogeneous plane waves (Q792796)

After an extended survey of the Gibbs-Synge theory of bivectors (complex vectors) the paper uses that theory to find results on the polarization of inhomogeneous plane waves. The link between bivectors and plane waves is that the field (e.g. displacement u or electric field E) corresponding to a train of such waves is described in terms of two bivectors \((\bar u=\bar A \exp(iw(\bar S\cdot(\bar x-t)))).\) Wave propagation in homogeneous isotropic viscoelastic bodies and in homogeneous anisotropic elastic bodies is studied. Some universal relations are obtained connecting the acoustical tensors for inhomogeneous waves with those for homogeneous waves. The special case of an elastic cubic crystal is examined. Circularly polarized inhomogeneous plane waves may propagate for certain slowness \(\bar S\).