Critical states in the interaction of discontinuous waves with interfaces between elastic media

The ray method is used to develop a procedure for studying the kinematics and dynamics of the interaction of discontinuous waves with interfaces between elastic media. The critical states of such interactions are analyzed. For the cases of a free surface and two surfaces contacting with and without sliding, it is established that the kinematic and dynamic conditions for critical states to occur are satisfied simultaneously Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 79–90, February 2009.