On diffraction in a piezoelectric medium by a half-plane: The Sommerfeld problem

This paper is concerned with the diffraction problem in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric medium by a half-plane. The half-plane obstacle considered here is a semi-infinite slit, or a crack; both its surfaces are traction free and electric absorbent screens. In a generalized sense, we are dealing with the Sommerfeld problem in a piezoelectric medium.¶The coupled diffraction fields between acoustic wave and electric wave are excited by both incident acoustic wave as well as incident electric wave; and the sound soft and electric "blackness" conditions on the screens are characterized by a system of simultaneous Wiener-Hopf equations. Closed form solutions are sought by employing special techniques. Some interesting results have been obtained, such as mode conversions between acoustic wave and electric wave, novel diffraction patterns in the scattering fields, and the effect of electroacoustic head wave, as well as of surface wave-Bleustein-Gulyaev wave.¶Unlike the classical Sommerfeld problem, in which the only concern is the scattering field of electric wave, the strength of material, e.g. material toughness, is another concern here. From this perspective, relevant dynamic field intensity factors at the crack tip are derived explicitly.