Open Access

Pavel Dmitrievich Pupyrev, Alexey M. Lomonosov, Andreas Mayer

• Nonlinear acoustic waves are considered that have displacements localized at the tip of an elastic wedge. The evolution equation governing their propagation is discussed and compared with its analogues pertaining to nonlinear acoustic surface and bulk waves. Solitary wave solutions of the evolution equation have been determined numerically for the cases of two rectangular edges which may be viewedNonlinear acoustic waves are considered that have displacements localized at the tip of an elastic wedge. The evolution equation governing their propagation is discussed and compared with its analogues pertaining to nonlinear acoustic surface and bulk waves. Solitary wave solutions of the evolution equation have been determined numerically for the cases of two rectangular edges which may be viewed as generated by splitting a half-space, consisting of crystalline silicon, into two quarter-spaces. For these two geometries, the kernel in the nonlinear terms of the evolution equation has been calculated from the second-order and third-order elastic constants of silicon, and weak dispersion due to tip truncation has been considered. Solitary pulse shapes have been computed and collisions of solitary pulses have been simulated for various relative speeds of the two collision partners. Collision scenarios for the two wedge geometries were found to differ considerably. Special attention is paid to the peculiar interaction of two initially identical solitary pulses.…