Oscillating Progressive Shear Waves in Nonhomogeneous Viscoelastic Solids

Abstract

The equations of motion for cylindrical and spherical shear waves in nonhomogeneous, isotropic, "standard", viscoelastic media with continuous radial variations are derived. Oscillatory shearing tractions are applied to the boundaries of cylindrical and spherical openings in unlimited viscoelastic media. The propagation of small-amplitude waves is studied, and formal asymptotic expansions of the solutions are obtained. In both cases (cylindrical and spherical), the leading term of the formal asymptotic expansion represents a modulated, oscillating, progressive wave propagating with variable velocity. The modulation depends on the moduli of rigidity and viscosity, whereas the velocity depends on the moduli of rigidity only. Application of our results to the propagation of shear waves in both finite and infinite viscoelastic plates is discussed.