Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2023/ii/paper-2/40c/a/solution

Let and . Snell law for elastic waves fixes the reflected waves' common tangential wavenumber:
Choose the reflected SV-wave and converted reflected P-wave as
The polarizations are respectively perpendicular and parallel to their wavevectors. Phase matching makes all three exponential factors equal at . The rigid boundary condition for an elastic wave there gives
Solving this two-by-two linear system yields
These fields give the Reflection of an SV-wave from a rigid plane.

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