Observation of Shock Transverse Waves in Elastic Media

Abstract

We report the first experimental observation of a shock transverse wave propagating in an elastic medium. This observation was possible because the propagation medium, a soft solid, allows one to reach a very high Mach number. In this extreme configuration, the shock formation is observed over a distance of less than a few wavelengths, thanks to a prototype of an ultrafast scanner (that acquires 5000 frames per second). A comparison of these new experimental data with theoretical predictions, based on a modified Burger's equation, shows good agreement.