Theory of nonstationary interaction between pressure waves in a fluid and unclosed surfaces

Abstract

Problems of nonstationary scattering of incident waves by unclosed surfaces have been solved in the general formulation under the usual assumptions of the linear mechanics of ideal compressible fluids. Such problems are encountered in a number of important hydrodynanic applications. In this case the nonstationary wave field must be known at any distance from the scatterer, and in particular in its immediate vicinity. The known methods of stationary diffraction cannot be used in nonstationary problems, when it is not possible to obtain exact expressions for the Fourier transforms of the unknown solutions and hence guarantee the unique recovery of the inverse transforms. However, the direct solution of the nonstationary problem is possible only in very simple situations: scattering of pressure waves by a plate, diffraction at the edge of a half-plane or at a slit in a flat screen, etc. These circumstances make it necessary to develop special approaches to the solution of the problem of the nonstationary scattering of pressure waves in a fluid by arbitrary unclosed surfaces. This paper outlines a method which leads to the construction of the Laplace transforms of the unknown solutions and is based on a unique means of satisfying the boundary conditions with the subsequent obtaining of exact expressions for the coefficients (densities) of the expansions employed. The class of problems solvable by this method is confined to those for which it is possible to obtain corresponding solutions by expansion in series or integrals over the complete orthogonal system of eigenfunctions on the assumption that the surface of the obstacle is closed. The Laplace transforms of the solutions can be inverted by any approximate method. The solutions constructed in accordance with the formalism developed are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data and coincide with the classical results.