Complete eigenfunction expansion form of the Green's function for elastic layered half-space

Summary  The complete eigenfunction expansion form of the Green's function for a 3-D elastic layered half-space in the frequency domain is derived in this paper. The expression of the Green's function presented here is an extension of that represented by the residue terms and the branch line integrals given by Lamb [1]. The present expression, however, clarifies the mathematical common frame between the residue terms and the branch line integrals with respect to the eigenfunctions and energy integrals. For the derivation, the concept of an energy integral for the improper eigenfunctions is newly developed. The improper eigenfunctions, which can be found in the wavenumbers for the branch cuts, are not in L ₂ space, so the definition of the energy integral requires some treatment. The energy integral is defined as the limit of the inner product of the improper eigenfunction and the definition function of the improper eigenfunction, for which the inner product remains finite. Via the definition of the energy integral, the kernel of the branch line integral is decomposed into the improper eigenfunction, and the complete eigenfunction expansion form of the Green's function is derived. The Green's function can thus be expressed by summation of normal modes, complex modes pointed out in [2], the integral of the improper eigenfunction and the residue at k=0 due to the singularity of the horizontal wavefunction. Received 3 May 2001; accepted for publication 23 August 2001