On Wave Propagation in Thermoplastic Media

Abstract

The dynamic behavior of a medium, according to the uncoupled thermoplastic theory, is presented and is compared to the behavior that would be obtained from an uncoupled quasi-static analysis. Since the inertia terms are retained in the equations of motion, wave fronts (or surfaces of discontinuity) are produced in the medium. The normal velocity of the wave front separating the elastic and plastic regions is determined. General closed-form solutions of the displacement (according to both the dynamic and the quasi-static approaches) are obtained; their unique forms are found for the semi-infinite region, and an illustrative numerical example is then presented.