Stress effect on boundary conditions and elastic wave propagation through an interface between anisotropic media

Abstract

Elastic wave propagation through a plane interface between two generally anisotropic stressed solids is considered. The case when one solid is replaced with fluid is considered separately due to its importance for the development of immersion techniques for ultrasonic stress determination. The incident wave plane can coincide with or deviate from planes of material symmetry. Static stresses are assumed to be locally homogeneous and to satisfy static boundary conditions. The analysis is applicable for both applied and residual stresses. For numerical implementation a method and an analysis of the reflection-refraction problem on the boundary of separation between two anisotropic solids [Rokhlin et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 79, 906 (1986)] is modified to take stresses into account. Simulations are performed to implement the theory described and to clarify the stress effect on elastic wave interaction with a solid interface. Changes in propagation directions, polarizations, and energy transmission and reflection coefficients due to the presence of stresses are discussed. The stress-induced birefringence is explored quantitatively. Conditions for destructive interference of shear waves are presented.