Highly Nonlinear Wave Propagation in Elastic Woodpile Periodic Structures

E. Kim (1) , F. Li (1) , C. Chong (2) , Georgios Theocharis (3) , J. Yang (1) , Panayotis G. Kevrekidis (2)

1 University of Washington [Seattle]
2 UMass Amherst - University of Massachusetts [Amherst]
3 LAUM - Laboratoire d'Acoustique de l'Université du Mans

In the present work, we experimentally implement, numerically compute with, and theoretically analyze a configuration in the form of a single column woodpile periodic structure. Our main finding is that a Hertzian, locally resonant, woodpile lattice offers a test bed for the formation of genuinely traveling waves composed of a strongly localized solitary wave on top of a small amplitude oscillatory tail. This type of wave, called a nanopteron, is not only motivated theoretically and numerically, but is also visualized experimentally by means of a laser Doppler vibrometer. This system can also be useful for manipulating stress waves at will, for example, to achieve strong attenuation and modulation of high-amplitude impacts without relying on damping in the system.

Domaines: Physique [physics]; Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

E. Kim, F. Li, C. Chong, Georgios Theocharis, J. Yang, et al.. Highly Nonlinear Wave Propagation in Elastic Woodpile Periodic Structures. Physical Review Letters, 2015, 114 (11), ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.118002⟩. ⟨hal-03106781⟩