Reciprocity in Elastodynamics

Professor Achenbach discusses uses of reciprocity relations for the determination of elastodynamic fields, and presents a novel method to solve for wave fields by reciprocity of the actual field with a so-called virtual solution, shedding new light on the use of reciprocity relations for dynamic fields in elastic bodies.

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The reciprocity theorem has been used for over 100 years to establish interesting and useful relations between different loading states of a body. This book discusses current and novel uses of reciprocity relations for the determination of elastodynamic fields. The author, who is internationally distinguished for his contributions to theoretical and applied mechanics, presents a novel method to solve for wave fields, shedding new light on the use of reciprocity relations for dynamic fields in an elastic body. The material presented in the book is relevant to several fields in engineering and applied physics. Examples are ultrasonics for medical imaging and non-destructive evaluation, acoustic microscopy, seismology, exploratory geophysics, structural acoustics, and the response of structures to high-rate loads and the determination of material properties by ultrasonic techniques.