Past exam of the elasticity and plasticity course of the University of Oxford / 2011 / 2 / d / Solution

Use the complex amplitude and take its real part at the end; the equations are linear with real coefficients. Let $M=\lambda +2\mu$, $\omega =kc$, and $v=(A,B{)}^T$. The differential operators on this exponential function are ${\partial }_X=ik$, ${\partial }_Y=-b$, and ${\partial }_t=-i\omega$. Substitution givesThe determinant factors asConsequently choose the positive decay rootsThe Rayleigh wave decay exponents must both give strict decay into the half-space. A genuine nonzero Rayleigh wave combines both, as the free-surface equations below also show. Thus $b_1,b_2>0$ requires $\boxed{0<c<\min (c_T,c_L)}$. In a stable ordinary isotropic solid $c_T<c_L$, so it is slower even than the transverse wave. The roots depend on the candidate speed as well as the material constants and wavenumber; the speed is fixed by the boundary condition.