Nonlinear elastic properties of a model one-dimensional granular unconsolidated structure

The characteristic features of the propagation of finite-amplitude elastic waves in a model one-dimensional unconsolidated granular medium are investigated. The model medium is represented by a linear chain of 80 steel balls with a diameter of 6.5 mm each, this chain being preliminarily loaded with an external static force F. The elastic properties of the model are analyzed. The theoretical dependences of the coefficients of elasticity of the second, third, and fourth orders on the force F are obtained. The experimental setup is described. The results of studying the nonlinear effects, namely, the higher harmonic generation and the wave generation at combination frequencies, which accompany the acoustic wave propagation in the chain, are presented. For the chain of balls under study, a structural phase transition from the 1D structure to a 2D one is observed with an increase in the external compression force F applied to the balls. The results of the study are analyzed using the Hertz theory of contact interactions.     

How hertzian solitary waves interact with boundaries in a 1D granular medium

We perform measurements, numerical simulations, and quantitative comparisons with available theory on solitary wave propagation in a linear chain of beads without static preconstraint. By designing a nonintrusive force sensor to measure the impulse as it propagates along the chain, we study the solitary wave reflection at a wall. We show that the main features of solitary wave reflection depend on wall mechanical properties. Since previous studies on solitary waves have been performed at walls without these considerations, our experiment provides a more reliable tool to characterize solitary wave propagation. We find, for the first time, precise quantitative agreements.     

Elastic waves in noncohesive frictionless granular crystals

An ordered structure of noncohesive spherical beads constitutes a phononic crystal. This type of media combines the properties of wave propagation in phononic crystals (dispersion due to the geometrical periodicity) with the properties of wave propagation in granular media (nonlinearities, rotational degree of freedom) and gives the opportunity to have interesting features as tunable frequency band gaps for example.In this work, the acoustic bulk modes of a hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure of beads, considered as rigid masses connected by springs, are theoretically evaluated and their associated resonance frequencies are compared to experimental results. When friction is neglected, the elastic interaction between the beads are reduced to a normal spring interaction given by the Hertz theory. According to this theory, the rigidity of the contact depends on its static loading. The theory predicts the existence of elastic transverse and longitudinal acoustical-type modes and transverse and longitudinal optical-type modes.The acoustic transfer function of a hcp crystal slab built with stainless steel beads is measured and its resonance frequencies are compared to the theoretical predictions. Despite some differences between theory and experiments, which could come for instance from the disordered character of the contact loads, the developed theory and the experimental results show relatively good agreement.     

Influence of static and dynamic internal actions on elastic nonlinear properties of a granulated unconsolidated medium

We have studied the influence of external static (pressure) and dynamic (caused by an elastic wave with a finite amplitude) actions on the linear and nonlinear elastic properties of a granulated unconsolidated medium, which was simulated by steel spheres with diameters of 2 and 4 mm. We have analyzed the equation of state for such a medium taking into account the presence of weakly and strongly deformed contacts between individual spheres. We have obtained expressions for the elasticity coefficient and second- and third-order nonlinear elastic parameters, and we have experimentally studied the influence of external static pressure on their values. We have measured the dependence of the velocity of elastic waves on external static pressure and the probing signal amplitude. In the studied medium, a number of structural phase transitions were observed, related to rearrangement of the packing of spheres, which were caused by both static and dynamic actions. The structural phase transition was accompanied by an anomalous change in the nonlinear elastic parameters of the medium and the velocity of elastic waves. We have analyzed the results based on the Hertz theory of contact interaction.     

Characteristic features of elastic wave propagation in a one-dimensional model of an unconsolidated medium

The characteristic features of elastic wave propagation in a one-dimensional model of a discrete inhomogeneous unconsolidated medium are investigated. The model is represented by a linear chain of 80 uncoupled steel spheres with a diameter of 6.5 mm. Nonlinear effects that may arise in such systems are reviewed. The experimental setup is described. Results of studying the dispersion of elastic waves in the system and the dependence of the elastic wave velocity on the wave amplitude under increasing compression are presented. The results are analyzed using the Hertz contact theory.     

Highly nonlinear solitary waves in heterogeneous periodic granular media

We use experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis to investigate the propagation of highly nonlinear solitary waves in periodic arrangements of dimer (two-mass) and trimer (three-mass) cell structures in one-dimensional granular lattices. To vary the composition of the fundamental periodic units in the granular chains, we utilize beads of different materials (stainless steel, brass, glass, nylon, polytetrafluoroethylene, and rubber). This selection allows us to tailor the response of the system based on the masses, Poisson ratios, and elastic moduli of the components. For example, we examine dimer configurations with two types of heavy particles, two types of light particles, and alternating light and heavy particles. Employing a model with Hertzian interactions between adjacent beads, we find good agreement between experiments and numerical simulations. We also find good agreement between these results and a theoretical analysis of the model in the long-wavelength regime that we derive for heterogeneous environments (dimer chains) and general bead interactions. Our analysis encompasses previously-studied examples as special cases and also provides key insights on the influence of heterogeneous lattices on the properties (width and propagation speed) of the nonlinear wave solutions of this system.     

Solitary waves in the granular chain

Solitary waves are lumps of energy. We consider the study of dynamical solitary waves, meaning cases where the energy lumps are moving, as opposed to topological solitary waves where the lumps may be static. Solitary waves have been studied in some form or the other for nearly 450 years. Subsequently, there have been many authoritative works on solitary waves. Nevertheless, some of the most recent studies reveal that these peculiar objects are far more complex than what we might have given them credit for. In this review, we introduce the physics of solitary waves in alignments of elastic beads, such as glass beads or stainless steel beads. We show that any impulse propagates as a new kind of highly interactive solitary wave through such an alignment and that the existence of these waves seems to present a need to re-examine the very definition of the concept of equilibrium. We further discuss the possibility of exploiting nonlinear properties of granular alignments to develop exciting technological applications.     

Nonlinear waves in dry and wet Hertzian granular chains

A one-dimensional dry granular medium, a chain of beads which interact via the nonlinear Hertz potential, exhibits strongly nonlinear behaviors. When such an alignment further contains some fluid in the interstices between grains, it may exhibit new interesting features. We report some recent experiments, analysis and numerical simulations concerning nonlinear wave propagation in dry and wet chains of spheres. We consider first a monodisperse chain as a reference case. We then analyze how the pulse characteristics are modified in the presence of an interstitial viscous fluid. The fluid not only induces dissipation but also strongly affect the intergrain stiffness: in a wet chain, wave speed is enhanced and pulses are shorter. Simple experiments performed with a single sphere colliding a wall covered by a thin film of fluid confirm these observations. We demonstrate that even a very small amount of fluid can overcome the Hertzian potential and is responsible for a large increase of contact stiffness. Possible mechanisms for wet contact hardening are related to large fluid shear rate during fast elastohydrodynamic collision between grains.     

Wave scattering effects in elastic percolation models

The study of the propagation of waves in randomly diluted models is presented. Porosity (crack-like) models are simulated by constructing typical elastic percolation networks with random microscopic heterogeneities in order to resemble rock media. Central and bond-bending forces (Born Hamiltonian) models are considered. For each experimental case, the elastic energy of the system is relaxed in equilibrium and then the model is excited by a pulse source in order to produce wave propagation. First, a review is presented of the well established velocity-porosity relationship from rock physics, which shows a linear trend from small porosities up to the critical porosity (percolation threshold) where the rocks fall apart. From the wave propagation analysis a general trend is observed for the attenuation of waves, from the small to the large porosity models, suggesting multiple scattering effects similar to those reported from effective-medium approximations of wave scattering due to random heterogeneities. Finally, the results are compared with those obtained from laboratory experiments on dry rocks with different porosities and different applied stress regimes.     

Traveling waves in a nonlinear medium with cubic nonlinearity

Unlike linear nondispersive media, which allow propagation of wave packets of arbitrary forms, nonlinear media admit only certain profiles of traveling waves. Here we examine media with Duffing oscillators, i.e., with bound electrons for which an equilibrium disturbance causes forces proportional to the first and third powers of deviation. We show that the linearly polarized traveling plane waves such media can transmit have profiles modulated as Jacobi elliptic functions. When discussing propagation across an interface between different media, only incidence from the side of the linear medium is considered. Even in this case, to launch a traveling wave in the nonlinear medium, a severe restriction must be imposed on the incident wave’s amplitude.     

Modeling the propagation of ultrasonic waves in the interface region between two bonded elements

An important task in nondestructive materials evaluation is the development of techniques to characterize the bond quality of adherent joints. Binding forces are nonlinear and cause a nonlinear modulation of transmitted and reflected ultrasonic waves. As a consequence, the higher harmonics generated by an insonified monochromatic wave give information about the adhesive bonds. The local binding forces in thin bonded interfaces can be obtained by the amplitudes of the ultrasonic waves of the insonified frequency and its higher harmonics as transmitted through the interface. Additional phase measurements may enable one to obtain the evaluation of the full hysteretic cycle of the interaction force. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the interface region and to improve the technique, numerical simulations of the ultrasonic wave propagation through specimens of two bonded elements can be used. A simple model based on the local interaction simulation approach (LISA) is described in this contribution, and a comparison between the results of the simulations and the experimental data is presented. Besides its intrinsic relevance for NDE, the problem considered in this paper may be very useful to analyze and test models for the simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation in nonclassical nonlinear mesoscopic elastic materials.     

The metre

A musical wind instrument transforms a constant pressure input from the player's mouth into a fluctuating pressure output in the form of a radiating sound wave. In reed woodwind and brass instruments, this transformation is achieved through a nonlinear coupling between two vibrating systems: the flow control valve formed by the mechanical reed or the lips of the player, and the air column contained by the pipe. Although the basic physics of reed wind instruments was developed by Helmholtz in the nineteenth century, the application of ideas from the modern theory of nonlinear dynamics has led to recent advances in our understanding of some musically important features of wind instrument behaviour. As a first step, the nonlinear aspects of the musical oscillator can be considered to be concentrated in the flow control valve; the air column can be treated as a linear vibrating system, with a set of natural modes of vibration corresponding to the standing waves in the pipe. Recent models based on these assumptions have had reasonable success in predicting the threshold blowing pressure and sounding frequency of a clarinet, as well as explaining at least qualitatively the way in which the timbre of the sound varies with blowing pressure. The situation is more complicated for brass instruments, in which the player's lips provide the flow valve. Experiments using artificial lips have been important in permitting systematic studies of the coupling between lips and air column; the detailed nature of this coupling is still not fully understood. In addition, the assumption of linearity in the air column vibratory system sometimes breaks down for brass instruments. Nonlinear effects in the propagation of high amplitude sound waves can lead to the development of shock waves in trumpets and trombones, with important musical consequences.     

Propagation of Bleustein-Gulyaev waves in a prestressed layered piezoelectric structure

Based on the theories of nonlinear continuum mechanics, piezoelectricity and elastic waves in solids, theoretical analysis of Bleustein-Gulyaev surface acoustic wave propagation in a prestressed layered piezoelectric structure are described. Numerical calculations are performed for the case that the layer and the substrate are identical LiNbO(3) except that they are polarized in opposite directions. It is found that an almost linear behavior of the relative change in phase velocity versus the initial stress is obtained for both surface electrically free and shorted cases. Potential applications in the design of acoustic wave devices are suggested.     

Envelope solitary waves on two-dimensional lattices with in-plane displacements

We investigate envelope solitary waves on square lattices with two degrees of freedom and nonlinear nearest and next-nearest neighbor interactions. We consider solitary waves which are localized in the direction of their motion and periodically modulated along the perpendicular direction. In the quasi-monochromatic approximation and low-amplitude limit a system of two coupled nonlinear Schr?dinger equations (CNLS) is obtained for the envelopes of the longitudinal and transversal displacements. For the case of bright envelope solitary waves the solvability condition is discussed, also with respect to the modulation. The stability of two special solution classes (type-I and type-II) of the CNLS equations is tested by molecular dynamics simulations. The shape of type-I solitary waves does not change during propagation, whereas the width of type-II excitations oscillates in time. Received: 4 December 1997 / Revised: 6 June 1998 / Accepted: 7 July 1998     

Are there waves in elastic wave turbulence?

An thin elastic steel plate is excited with a vibrator and its local velocity displays a turbulentlike Fourier spectrum. This system is believed to develop elastic wave turbulence. We analyze here the motion of the plate with a two-point measurement in order to check, in our real system, a few hypotheses required for the Zakharov theory of weak turbulence to apply. We show that the motion of the plate is indeed a superposition of bending waves following the theoretical dispersion relation of the linear wave equation. The nonlinearities seem to efficiently break the coherence of the waves so that no modal structure is observed. Several hypotheses of the weak turbulence theory seem to be verified, but nevertheless the theoretical predictions for the wave spectrum are not verified experimentally.     

A model for the propagation of nonlinear dispersive strain waves in a solid with defect clusters

A model for the propagation of nonlinear dispersive one-dimensional longitudinal strain waves in an isotropic solid with quadratic nonlinearity of elastic continuum is developed with taking into account the interaction with atomic defect clusters. The governing nonlinear dispersive-dissipative equation describing the evolution of longitudinal strain waves is derived. An approximate solution of the model equation was derived which describes asymmetrical distortion of geometry of the solitary strain wave due to the interaction between the strain field and the field of clusters. The contributions of the finiteness of the relaxation times of cluster-induced atomic defects to the linear elastic modulus and the lattice dissipation and dispersion parameters are determined. The amplitudes and width of the nonlinear waves depend on the elastic constants and on the properties of the defect subsystem (atomic defects, clusters) in the medium. The explicit expression is received for the sound velocity dependence upon the fractional cluster volume, which is in good agreement with experiment. The critical value of cluster volume fraction for the influence on the strain wave propagation is determined.     

Extinction theorem and propagation of electromagnetic waves between two anisotropic materials

We systematically investigate the reflection and refraction of an electromagnetic wave between two semi-infinite anisotropic magnetoelectric materials. Using the integral formulation of Hertz vectors and the principle of superposition, we generalize the extinction theorem and derive the propagation characteristics of wave. Applying the results obtained, we find a general origin of Brewster effect. We also show that, through choosing appropriate material parameters, oblique or omnidirectional total transmission can occur to TE and TM waves. Compared to the traditional method, the method used here discloses the underlying mechanism of wave propagation between two arbitrary anisotropic materials and can be applied to other problems of propagation.     

分层半空间表面非线性瑞利波的激发*

针对非线性瑞利波在均匀分层半空间结构中的激发和传播规律进行研究。根据摄动理论和模态分解将分层半空间结构中瑞利波的二次谐波声场表示为二倍频瑞利波模式的线性组合,经由互易关系得到各模式的展开系数表达式。对不同分层半空间结构中瑞利波二次谐波的激发和传播特性进行讨论,结果表明相速度匹配的瑞利波模式其二次谐波分量随传播距离线性增长,非匹配模式的二次谐波分量则沿传播方向周期震荡传播。此外,文中定义非线性参数表征瑞利波模式产生的非线性程度,这有利于选择出具有明显非线性效应的匹配点,为后续检测工作提供理论依据,具有指导意义。