Nonlinear Rayleigh wave propagation in a three-layer sandwich structure in dual-phase-lag

Plane, nonlinear Rayleigh wave propagation is investigated in a three-layer sandwich structure of a thermoelastic medium, within the frame of dual-phase-lag theory. The thermal conductivity is taken as a linear function of temperature. This induces nonlinearity in the evolution equations for the heat flux components. A particular solution is found in the form of Poincar & eacute; expansion in a small parameter that reflects the fluctuations of temperature about a steady value. This solution is discussed and plots are provided for a special case when both external faces of the structure are traction-free and under prescribed temperature regime. It is noted, in particular, that some quantities of practical interest suffer jumps at the interfaces. Some of the jumps appear only starting from the second order of approximation. The existence of jumps may be favourably used to carry out some measurements of material parameters.