Four simplified gradient elasticity models for the simulation of dispersive wave propagation

Abstract

Gradient elasticity theories can be used to simulate dispersive wave propagation as it occurs in heterogeneous materials. Compared to the second-order partial differential equations of classical elasticity, in its most general format gradient elasticity also contains fourth-order spatial, temporal as well as mixed spatial-temporal derivatives. The inclusion of the various higher-order terms has been motivated through arguments of causality and asymptotic accuracy, but for numerical implementations it is also important that standard discretization tools can be used for the interpolation in space and the integration in time. In this paper, we will formulate four different simplifications of the general gradient elasticity theory. We will study the dispersive properties of the models, their causality according to Einstein and their behavior in simple initial/boundary value problems.

Keywords:

• generalized continuum
• gradient elasticity
• length scale
• dispersion
• wave propogation

Acknowledgements

Financial support of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to the first author and the fourth author (contract number EP/D041368/1) is gratefully acknowledged.