Nonlinear distortion and shock formation in planar surface acoustic waves in anisotropic crystals have been modeled without [Hamilton et al., JASA (1999)] and with [Cormack et al., JASA 2022] piezoelectricity. Weak diffraction has been included in the paraxial approximation for nonlinear surface wave beams in isotropic solids [Shull et al., JASA (1995)]. Here, a procedure for including strong diffraction, i.e., without the paraxial approximation, in the model for nonlinear surface waves in crystals is presented, which incorporates the angular spectrum approach described by Kharusi and Farnell (JASA 1970). Anisotropy is defined by expressing the phase speed of a plane wave, and therefore, the magnitude of the corresponding wavenumber, as a function of the direction of propagation. Next, an explicit expression relating the two wavenumber components in the planar surface along which the wave propagates must be obtained as a function of direction, requiring iterative solution of a transcendental relation. The beam is then propagated incrementally away from the source, advancing the angular spectrum in k-space and including nonlinear interactions in the spatial domain to characterize the combined effects of diffraction and nonlinearity. Preliminary results are presented for converging nonlinear surface waves in crystals. [Work supported by IR&D at ARL:UT.]
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