The propagation of elastic surface waves along cylindrical cavities of general cross section

Abstract

The existence of surface wave modes, propagating along an infinite cylindrical cavity of arbitrary constant cross section in an elastic medium, is investigated theoretically. A general secular equation is derived using the null-field approach and global expansions of the surface displacements. Numerical results for the phase velocities, surface displacements and cut-off frequencies are presented for elliptic cross sections. The largest eccentricity considered is 0.99995 and it is inferred that the flexural mode exists at all frequencies for any eccentricity of the cross section.