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Surface Waves

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Encyclopedia of Continuum Mechanics

Synonyms

Guided waves; Inhomogeneous waves; Interfacial waves; SAW (surface acoustic waves)

Definitions

A surface wave is an inhomogeneous and self-sustaining wave at material surfaces or interfaces which propagates with a velocity being different from the velocities of elastic waves as a consequence of the fulfillment of boundary conditions. It can be considered as a solution of eigenvalue problems, which are met in literally all fields of physics and mathematics. Surface waves occur not only in continuum mechanics but also in fluid mechanics, electromagnetism and optics, solid-state physics, and quantum mechanics. In many cases, surface waves are a dispersive phenomenon, i.e., the phase velocity depends on frequency. Many phenomena of general wave theory like reflection, refraction, and scattering are also present in surface-wave theory and play an important role in the applications.

General Remarks

Special manifestations of elastic waves are such ones which propagate near the body...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany

    Peter G. Malischewsky

Authors
  1. Peter G. Malischewsky
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter G. Malischewsky .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Mechanik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Institut für Mechanik, Magdeburg, Germany

    Holm Altenbach

  2. Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus), Griffith School of Engineering Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus), Southport, QLD, Australia

    Andreas Öchsner

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Cybernetics, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia

    Jüri Engelbrecht

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Malischewsky, P.G. (2018). Surface Waves. In: Altenbach, H., Öchsner, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Continuum Mechanics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53605-6_232-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53605-6_232-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-53605-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-53605-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EngineeringReference Module Computer Science and Engineering

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Surface Waves
    Published:
    18 August 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53605-6_232-2

  2. Original

    Surface Waves
    Published:
    10 January 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53605-6_232-1

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