Finite element analysis of Rayleigh wave interaction with finite-size, surface-breaking cracks

The interaction of surface acoustic waves with finite-size, surface-breaking, semi-circular cracks is studied numerically, and experimentally. We focus on the behavior of the reflection coefficient of the Rayleigh wave from such cracks in the far field of the crack, when the depth of the crack is comparable to the wavelength of the interrogating surface wave. The cases in which the depth of the crack is much smaller or much larger compared to the wavelength have been extensively investigated by many authors and are not considered here except for validating the numerical and experimental results in these regimes. The theoretical, finite element, and experimental results presented are in very good agreement over the range were the crack depth is much smaller or much larger compared to the wavelength of the incident Rayleigh wave. In the transition regime, between these two limiting cases, only the finite element and experimental data show good agreement since the theoretical predictions are no longer applicable. In the high crack depth to wavelength ratio (a/lambda(R)) regime, the finite element and experimental results close to the crack approach the limiting value of the reflection coefficient from a 90degrees corner. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.