Rayleigh waves modeling using an elastic lattice model

Abstract

The elastic lattice (percolation) model, used in statistical physics studies, has been quite successful in simulating dynamic fracture phenomena, including their associated acoustic emission. This discrete model is suitable for representing disordered media such as rocks. Thus, motivated by its advantages to deal with discontinuous realistic media, in comparison to the continuum theory, we performed simulations of elastic wave propagation by using a vector percolating network that includes central and bond-bending force constants allowing local microscopic variation of the Poisson's ratio. The validity of the proposed approach is tested by comparing our numerical results with those from Garvin's exact analytical solution for a buried dilatational line source in a half space. In the free-surface response the Rayleigh waves play a prominent role.