Abstract

Unidirectional Wave Motions provides a comprehensive discussion of the formulations and their consequent elaborations which have found demonstrable value in wave analysis. The deliberate focus on unidirectional waves permits a relatively simple mathematical development, without leaving significant gaps in methodology and capability.
The book is organized into three parts. The first part deals with the particulars of individual wave equations; the geometry or kinematics of wave forms; and general matters bearing on the transport of energy and momentum as well as dispersion or frequency sensitivity. The second part focuses on aspects of wave generation by localized and extended sources. The third part examines the effects of interaction between specified primary waves and medium irregularities (e.g., obstacles, inclusions, or local variations in the material parameters). Information about these irregularities or scatterers, ranging from microscopic to terrestrial scales, may be gleaned through the attendant phenomena of reflection, refraction, and diffraction, which are fundamental to wave theory.