Reflection and refraction of elastic waves at the interface of an elastic half‐space and initially stressed thermoelastic with voids half‐space

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to study the reflection and refraction of elastic waves at the interface of an elastic half‐space and initially stressed thermoelastic with voids half‐space.

Design/methodology/approach

A two‐dimensional model was considered of an isotropic elastic half‐space (medium I) lying over a homogeneous isotropic generalized initially stressed thermoelastic with voids half‐space(medium II). There exist two waves, P‐wave and SV‐wave in isotropic elastic half‐space and three quasi‐longitudinal waves namely, quasi‐longitudinal wave (QP‐mode), quasi‐longitudinal thermal wave (QPT‐mode), quasi‐longitudinal volume fractional wave (QPV‐mode) and one quasi‐transverse wave (QSV‐mode) exists in initially stressed thermoelastic with voids half‐space.

Findings

The energy ratios of these waves are computed along various directions of incident wave, and it is found that the sum of all energy ratios is exactly unity at each value of incident angle. The amplitude ratios of various waves were obtained numerically.

Originality/value

Reflection and refraction of an elastic medium is of great practical importance. Since valuable organic and inorganic deposits beneath the earth surface are difficult to detect by drilling randomly, wave propagation is the simplest and most economic technique to these and does not require any drilling through the earth. Almost all the oil companies rely on seismic interpretation for selecting the sites for exploratory oil wells because seismic wave methods have higher accuracy, higher resolution and more economical, as compared to drilling which is expansive and time consuming.

Citation

Kumar, R. and Kumar, R. (2012), "Reflection and refraction of elastic waves at the interface of an elastic half‐space and initially stressed thermoelastic with voids half‐space", Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 355-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/15736101211269159