Experimental study of the Scholte wave propagation on a plane surface partially immersed in a liquid

Abstract

This study shows that as a pseudo-Rayleigh wave propagates on the surface of a semi-infinite elastic plane solid, partially immersed in a liquid, a new repartition of the energy appears at the liquid–solid interface. Two interface waves are generated: a generalized Rayleigh wave (or leaky Rayleigh wave) and a Scholte wave (or pseudo-Stoneley). We show that for values of the angle of immersion θi less than θi,m =θR/2+π/4 (where θR is the Rayleigh angle), the amplitude of the Scholte wave depends strongly on the wetting and on θi. In this angular region the leaky Rayleigh wave does not disturb the Scholte wave propagation. For θi>θi,m the experimental records present an oscillating behavior that we have attributed to the superposition of the pseudo-Stoneley wave and the generalized Rayleigh wave specularly reflected by the air–liquid interface.