Wave processes in media with hysteretic nonlinearity. Part I

Two phenomenological models of hysteretic equations of state for media with imperfect elasticity are described and compared. On the basis of these equations, a theoretical study of nonlinear effects caused by the acoustic wave propagation in an unbounded medium is performed. The profiles, parameters, and spectra of waves are determined. The distinctive features of nonlinear wave processes in such media are revealed, so that these features can be used to choose the appropriate hysteretic equation of state for analytically describing the experimental data.