ON THE PROPAGATION OF THERMOELASTIC RAYLEIGH-WAVES

Some specific features in the propagation of thermoelastic Rayleigh waves are considered. The waves are interpreted as a superposition of three dispersive inhomogeneous plane waves. The superposed waves have different directions of propagation and attenuation and different phase velocities and attenuation coefficient values. Their directions of propagation are not parallel to the stress-free surface. For each of them the plane of constant phase and the plane of constant amplitude are not orthogonal. All this concerns both quasi-elastic and quasi-thermal surface waves. Appropriate criteria for behaviour at infinity are discussed in order to preserve the most characteristic features of the Rayleigh waves known from classical elasticity. Some numerical results are presented when the half-space is made of copper and thermally insulated.