Eikonal equation for a variable-speed wave (${\omega }^2=c^2|\mathbf{k}{|}^2$)

For the wave equation ${\phi }_{tt}-\nabla \cdot (c^2\nabla \phi )=0$ with slow variables and phase $e^{i\theta /\epsilon }$, define $\omega =-{\theta }_T$ and $\mathbf{k}=\nabla \theta$. The leading balance is ${\omega }^2=c^2|\mathbf{k}{|}^2$. Its positive-frequency dispersion relation is $\Omega =c|\mathbf{k}|$, and the group velocity is $c\mathbf{k}/|\mathbf{k}|$.

The first-order imaginary balance of the wave equation in geometrical optics gives ${\partial }_T(\omega A^2)+\nabla \cdot (c^2\mathbf{k}{A}^2)=0$ for a real leading amplitude. The action density $\omega A^2$ travels with the group velocity $c^2\mathbf{k}/\omega$. For a complex amplitude replace $A^2$ by $|A{|}^2$.

For an individual monochromatic component in $c=c(Y)$, conserved $\omega ,k$ give $\ell =\sqrt{{\omega }^2/c^2-k^2}$. With amplitude independent of $X,T$, wave-action transport for a variable-speed wave conserves $c^2\ell A^2$ on a positive-$\ell$ branch, hence $A=\mu /(c\sqrt{\ell })$. The divergence at $\ell =0$ signals failure of the outer WKB approximation.

A smooth phase gives ${\partial }_{X_i}{k}_j={\partial }_{X_j}{k}_i$ and ${\mathbf{k}}_T=-\nabla \omega$. These mixed-derivative identities allow the spatially differentiated dispersion relation to be rewritten as Hamiltonian ray equations for a local dispersion relation. Away from phase singularities they express the curl-free character of a local wavevector.