Vibrational behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes based on cylindrical shell model using wave propagation approach

Abstract

The vibration analysis, based on the Donnell thin shell theory, of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been investigated. The wave propagation approach in standard eigenvalue form has been employed in order to derive the characteristic frequency equation describing the natural frequencies of vibration in SWCNTs. The complex exponential functions, with the axial modal numbers that depend on the boundary conditions stated at edges of a carbon nanotube, have been used to compute the axial modal dependence. In our new investigations, the vibration frequency spectra are obtained and calculated for various physical parameters like length-to-diameter ratios for armchair and zigzag SWCNTs for different modes and in-plane rigidity and mass density per unit lateral area for armchair and zigzag SWCNTs on the vibration frequencies. The computer software MATLAB is used in order to compute these frequencies of the SWCNTs. The results obtained from wave propagation method are found to be in satisfactory agreement with that obtained through the previously known numerical molecular dynamics simulations.