Past exam of the elasticity and plasticity course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / 1 / a

For antiplane shear, the displacement field is $\mathbf{u}=(0,0,w(x,y,t))$, independent of $z$. Its divergence is zero. Consequently the only possibly nonzero components of the stress tensor are the shear stressesThe $x$ and $y$ components of the Navier-Cauchy equation vanish identically. Its $z$ component gives $\rho w_{tt}={\partial }_x(\mu w_x)+{\partial }_y(\mu w_y)$. Each material has constant shear modulus and mass density, so the required wave equation and wave speeds are

At a perfectly bonded elastic interface, both the displacement field and the traction are continuous. Using the same normal ${\mathbf{e}}_y$ on both sides, the only nonzero traction component is ${\tau }_{zy}$. Thus the interface boundary conditions areContinuity of “stress” here means continuity of traction; it does not require equality of the full stress tensors. The rigid plate supplies the remaining boundary condition $w_1(x,0,t)=0$.