The diffraction of a shock wave at the curvilinear interface of transversely isotropic elastic media

The interaction of a shock wave with the curvilinear interface of transversely isotropic elastic media with different mechanical properties, accompanied by the formation of transmitted and reflected quasi-longitudinal and quasi-transverse shockwaves, is considered. The zeroth approximation of the ray method is used to construct the evolving surface of the shock-wave front and to calculate the values of the discontinuities of the deformation functions at points on this front. The solution of the generalized Snell equations, characterizing the directions of the normals to the wave Fronts, departing from the interface, is determined by the method of extension with respect to a parameter together with Newton's algorithm. An example for an ellipsoidal separating surface is considered. Special cases of the transformation of the wave fronts, related to the formation of ray caustics and bifurcations of the Front surfaces, and also the occurrence of a total internal reflection effect are established. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.