Verification of surface wave solutions obtained by the reciprocity theorem

Abstract

Surface wave motions generated by a time-harmonic point load applied at the surface of an isotropic linearly elastic half-space are conventionally solved by the use of integral transform techniques. The inverse transforms, are often complicated and will not always yield closed-form solutions. In this paper expressions for the displacements for surface wave motions radiated from point-load excitation are determined in a simple manner by the use of the elastodynamic reciprocity theorem. It is shown that the radiated amplitudes of the surface displacements obtained by the reciprocity approach are identical to the corresponding results obtained by the use of Hankel transform and by Lamb in his classical paper.