Explicit causal relations between material damping ratio and phase velocity from exact solutions of the dispersion equations of linear viscoelasticity

Abstract

SUMMARY The theory of linear viscoelasticity is the simplest constitutive model that can be adopted to accurately predict the small-strain mechanical response of materials exhibiting the ability to both store and dissipate strain energy. An important result implied by this theory is the relationship existing between material attenuation and the velocity of propagation of a mechanical disturbance. The functional dependence of these important parameters is represented by the Kramers‐Kronig (KK) equations, also known as dispersion equations, which are nothing but a statement of the necessary and sufficient conditions to satisfy physical causality. This paper illustrates the derivation of exact solutions of the KK equations to provide explicit relations between frequency-dependent phase velocity and material damping ratio (or equivalently, quality factor). The assumptions that form the basis of the derivation are not beyond those established by the standard theory of viscoelasticity for a viscoelastic solid. The explicit expression for phase velocity as a function of damping ratio was derived by means of the theory of linear singular integral equations, and in particular by the solution of the associated Homogeneous Riemann Boundary Value Problem. It is shown that the same solution may be obtained also by using the implications of physical causality on the Fourier Transform. On the other hand, the explicit solution for damping ratio as a function of phase velocity was found through the components of the complex wavenumber. The exact solutions make it possible to obtain frequency-dependent material damping ratio solely from phase velocity measurements, and conversely. Hence, these relations provide an innovative and inexpensive tool to determine the small-strain dynamic properties of geomaterials. It is shown that the obtained rigorous solutions are in good agreement with well-known solutions based on simplifying assumptions that have been developed in the fields of seismology and geotechnical engineering. In addition, the theoretical results have been validated using recently published experimental material functions for fine-grained soils and for polymethyl methacrylate.