Plane Waves in Cubically Nonlinear Elastic Media

The theory of plane waves in nonlinear materials described by the Murnaghan potential is proposed. The theory takes into account both the classical quadratic nonlinearity and the cubic nonlinearity of the basic wave equations. Some new opportunities for the wave interaction analysis are commented on: in addition to the second harmonics, a longitudinal plane wave generates the third one, a transverse plane wave generates the third harmonics, and horizontally and vertically polarized transverse plane waves jointly generate new waves     

Generation of the Third Harmonics by Plane Waves in Murnaghan Materials

We demonstrate that it is expedient to use the complete expansion of the potential in terms of strain gradients for materials whose deformation is described by Murnaghan's potential. The cubic terms are retained in the constitutive equations, in addition to the classical quadratic terms. An analysis of the nonlinear system of wave equations reveals that the third harmonics can be generated. As an example, the nonlinear interaction of plane waves is analyzed for the following three cases of waves entering a medium: (i) a longitudinal wave, (ii) a vertically polarized transverse wave, and (iii) vertically and horizontally polarized transverse waves     

On the classification of elastic waves

A hierarchical classification of elastic waves based on the concept of the shape of the wave profile and the fact that the phase velocity is either constant or functionally dependent on the amplitude or phase is described. By elastic waves are understood waves that propagate in elastic media and that are not necessarily linear and not necessarily single-phase. Five types of waves are introduced, being distinguished in terms of features introduced in the present article that also render their properties more complicated in terms of the hierarchical classification. S. P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 35, No. 11, pp. 27–33, November, 1999.