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Some ideas about longitudinal elastic waves

Rune Olsson
Borgmstaregatan 9E
S-81538 Tierp Sweden
ru.olsson@telia.com
Abstract. In longitudinal elastic waves a mass disturbance, m, passes through the medium
with the phase velocity. By considering m as a free mass we can derive some qualities of
wave propagation, such as reflections and wave energy. This method
gives standard results but presents a different way of approaching the problems.
Keywords: Longitudinal waves, mass disturbance, reflection, radiated energy.
I. Introduction
When an elasic longitudinal wave passes a medium there is a change of the mass distribution
within the volume occupied by the wave pulse.
Let us consider this change as analogous to a particle moving through the medium
with the wave velocity.
II. Method.
Suppose that an elastic longitudinal wave propagates through a medium. The disturbance
causes compressions and dilatations. The density () of the medium in the wave pulse is
changed so that
= /(1+) = /(1+ )

(1)

where is the density and is the deformation per unit volume, which can be positive or
negative. Let us consider one dimension. Then = the strain . The sum of the elastic
constants appearing in the expression for the longitudinal wave velocity c = (( L + 2)/),
( Lames constant and twice the rigidity) is reduced to
E (1 R )/ [ (1 + R )(1 2R )], - 1 < R <

(2)

( see e.g. Bullen (1963))

or simply to the modulus of elasticity E if the Poisson ratio R = 0, which means that the cross
section of the wave conductor (e. g metallic stick) does not change. Now, we consider a plane
wave moving to the right. The wave equation has the solution
s = f (x ct)

(3)

where s is the displacement, x is the rectangular cartesian coordinate and c is the wave
velocity of longitudinal waves.
c = x/ t = E/.

(4)

Further
s / t = s / x x / t = c

(5)

v = s / t = the particle velocity

Substitution of the solution (3) in the expressions for the kinetic and elastic energies per unit
volume
wk = / 2 ( s /t )2

(6)

we = E / 2 ( s /x)2

(7)

yield that the total energy is shared equally between the kinetic and elastic parts.
For the energy W of the mass M affected by the wave pulse we have because of ( 6 )
and ( 7 )
W/c2 = V/T 2 dt integrated over the period T of the wave propagation, where V is the
Volume of the wave pulse.
W/c2 = m
m = Mm2 where m is the average strain uring the period
When the wave is sinusoidal m =max/ 2.
the mass m is due to a relocation of the mass centre within the wave
pulse during the vibration cycle. This disturbance propagates with the

(8)

wave pulse and thus with the phase velocity c, for steel of the size 5000 m/s, for an elastic coil
spring of the size 10 m/s, depending on the length, diameter and material of the spring.
We now consider m as a free mass, which obeys the same laws as a particle. We have
Wkinetic = Welastic = mc2/ 2 if here are no energy losses, in consistency with the statement
above (eqs 6 , 7 ).
From (6) and (7) follows , because the stress, = E s/x
= c s/t = Z v

(9)

Z = c is the wave impedance.

For the radiation effect S per unit area we have
S = s/t = Z v2

( compare eq. 24 below )

(10)

III. Reflections at the ends of an elastic one- dimensional wave conductor.

The solution of the wave equation must be given in the general form
s = f1(x ct) + f2 (x +ct )

(11)

f2 is the reflected wave pulse.

a ) At a stiff end we have f2 + f1= 0 at the wall (x=0)
x= E s/x = E x ,

s=0

When there is a totally elastic reflection at a stiff wall of a particle with the mass m, m is
returned back with unchanged velocity so that the impulse changes from +mc into -mc . The
corresponding momentum 2mc is transferred to the wall. For longitudinal waves we have
bscause of ( 7 )
mc = W/c = E/c (f/x)2 .

and

(mc) = 2mc = E/c( (f1/x)2 + (f2/x)2) = 2E/c(f1/x)2

(12)

Thus f1/x = f2/x

The minus sign does not give an acceptable value of the stress at the wall. Thus
x = 2E f1/x The stress is doubled at the fix end.

The displacement is zero at the fix end, which causes

the displacement to be inverted or in other words we get a change of phase of half a
wave length. After a while only the reflected wave pulse differs from zero.
b) For reflection at an open end we have
(mc) = 0 or the momentum in the forward direction (mc) = the recoil (mc)
Thus

E/c( (f1/x)2 (f2/x)2) = 0 , f1/x = f2/x at x = 0

for t = 0

The plus sign does not give an acceptable value of the stress
= E (f1/x + f2/x) = 0

(13)

After integration of 13 in respect of t we get

-1/c f1 + 1/c f2 = 0. Thus f1 = f2

(14)

The reflected wave has the same form as the incident one at the open end and there is no
change of phase,

s=2f1

besause of (11)

The amplitude is doubled at the open end

Afterwards the incident wave pulse, f1, is zero and the wave is reflected back as f2,
the sign of s/x is changed and tensions are converted into pressures and vice versa.
c) When incidence of a wave at a boundary between two planes with wave impedances in the
first and second medium of Z1 and Z2 respectively, we suppose that the amplitudes of the
incident reflected and refracted dilatational waves are a1, a2 and a3. For normal incidence we
have no distortional waves and the condition of continuity of displacement and stress at the
boundary yield (see eq. 9).
f1 f2 = f 3

and Z1 (f1/t + f2/t) = Z2 (f3/t) or considering amplitudes

a1 a2 = a3, Z1 (a1 + a2) = Z2 a3 or a2 = a1 (Z2 Z1) / ( Z2 + Z1), a3 = 2a1Z1 / (Z2 + Z1)

We get no reflected wave if the two wave impedances are equal. If the wave impedance in the
second medium is greater than that in the first the reflected wave gets a change of phase of
because a1 and a2 have the same sign but the reflected wave proceeds in the opposite direction

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to the incident one. In the opposite case the amplitudes are of different signs and there is no
change of phase of the reflected wave.
IV. Wave energy
a. One dimensional wave motion.
Suppose that the wave is sinusoidal, that is
s = a sin {2/ ( x ct )}

(15)

= s /x
where s is the particle displacement, a is the amplitude and the wave length.
Let us cinsder a unit area in a wave length. Thus
m = c2dt integrated from 0 to T
W = mc2 yields for the energy per unit area, normal to the wave direction in one wavelength
W = 2 2 (a/T)2

(16)

(compare e.g. Bullen (1963)).

b. Three-dimensional wave motion.
Only normal stress, no tangential stresses.
Now we will use the same method in three dimensions. We will seek the energy passing
through a spherical shell with radius r in a perfectly elastic solid
during the time interval of the wave motion (final time initial time)
The cubical dilatation = 2 = 1/r2 /r(r2/r )

(17)

Where is the displacement potential, = q/r f(r q) ct)]

(18)

The displacement s = /r

(q is the radius of a spherical source in the homogeneous

medium, r>q). Thus

= q/r (2f / r2) = q/rc2 (2f/t2)
Now the formula W = m c2 = M2c2 yields
(M is the mass, occupied by the wave)

(19)

W = 4q2 /c (2f/t2)2dt

(20)

From (21) we have

s = - q/rc f/t fq/r2
2f/t2 = - rc/q s/t c/rf/t,

(21)
or

(2f/t2)2 = r2c2/q2(s/t)2 + c2/r2(f/t)2 + 2c2/q s/t f/t

(22)
(23)

putting this expression into (20) we have

in the far field, r>> q
W1 = 4c r2 (s/t)2 dt

(24)

(24) is consistent with (10), c is the wave impedance, characteristic for the material.
W1 is independent of r and is the basic formula for computation of the wave energy of
earthquakes and explosions from seismic records. It expresses the energy as double the kinetic
energy. The integration is extended over the time for wave propagation (t2 t1). Yoshiyama
(1963) has given a similar expression for the energ in another way.
Other terms of (23) depend of r and decline with it. Rewriting the second and third terms of
(23) we have after integration for the distance-dependent energy.
Wr = (-c2/r2(f/t)2dt c/r (f/t)2 ) 4q2/c2
where the initial and final states, t1 and t2 are to be inserted. The first term in the bracket tends
to zero when r increases because f/t is limited. The second term in the bracket disappears a
priori because f/t is zero at t1 and t2 .
References
1. Bullen, K E , An Introduction to the Theory of Seismology, 3rd Ed, Cambridge
Uiversity Press (1963)
4. Yoshiyama, R , Note on Earthquake energy, Bulletin of the Earthquake
Research Inst. 10, 687 697 (1963)
.