Effective mass density for wave propagation in periodic layered media in the elasto-acoustic transition

Abstract

This article investigates the effective mass density for acoustic and elastic wave propagation in layered media, with emphasis on its transition between these regimes. Conventionally, it is possible to recover the governing equations of acoustics from those of elasticity via the no-shear limit. However, when considering an effective medium, the anisotropic effective mass density typically obtained for acoustics differs from the isotropic one found in elasticity. Furthermore, direct investigation of this limit is hindered by the fact that the effective mass density is independent of the shear modulus $μ$. To tackle this problem, a transfer matrix approach is combined with Bloch's theorem to derive the effective wavenumber for a periodic material whose unit cell consists of two layers with different densities. The effective mass density is obtained analytically from the wavenumber, allowing for its evaluation in both regimes. Moreover, for the first time, a description of the transition from isotropic elastic to anisotropic acoustic effective density in a periodic layered medium is provided. Additionally, the existence of band structure in $μ$-space is demonstrated, along with exceptional points, where compressional and shear modes coalesce and waves become evanescent, which heavily affects the behaviour of the effective density in the elasto-acoustic transition.