Finite difference

About: Finite difference is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 19693 publications have been published within this topic receiving 408603 citations.

The two-dimensional Gaussian beam synthetic method: Testing and application

Abstract: The Gaussian beam method of Cervený et al. (1982) is an asymptotic method for the computation of wave fields in inhomogeneous media. The method consists of tracing rays and then solving the wave equation in “ray-centered coordinates.” The parabolic approximation is applied to find the asymptotic local solution in the neighborhod of each ray. The approximate global solution for a given source is then constructed by a superposition of Gaussian beams along nearby rays. The Gaussian beam method is tested in a two-dimensional inhomogeneous medium using two approaches. One is the application of the reciprocal theorem for Green's functions in an arbitrarily heterogeneous medium. The discrepancy between synthetic seismograms for reciprocal cases is considered as a measure of the error. The other approach is to apply Gaussian beam synthesis to cases for which solutions are known by other approximate methods. This includes the soft basin problem that has been studied by finite difference, finite element, discrete wavenumber, and glorified optics. We found that the results of these tests were in general satisfactory. We have used the Gaussian beam method for two applications. First, the method is used to study volcanic earthquakes at Mount Saint Helens. The observed large differences in amplitude and arrival time between a station inside the crater and stations on the flanks can be explained by the combined effects of an anomalous velocity structure and a shallow focal depth. The method is also applied to scattering of teleseismic P waves by a lithosphere with randomly fluctuating velocities.

Limits of scalar diffraction theory and an iterative angular spectrum algorithm for finite aperture diffractive optical element design.

Abstract: We have designed high-efficiency finite-aperture diffractive optical elements (DOE's) with features on the order of or smaller than the wave-length of the incident illumination. The use of scalar diffraction theory is generally not considered valid for the design of DOE's with such features. However, we have found several cases in which the use of a scalar-based design is, in fact, quite accurate. We also present a modified scalar-based iterative design method that incorporates the angular spectrum approach to design diffractive optical elements that operate in the near-field and have sub-wavelength features. We call this design method the iterative angular spectrum approach (IASA). Upon comparison with a rigorous electromag-netic analysis technique, specifically, the finite difference time-domain method (FDTD), we find that our scalar-based design method is surprisingly valid for DOE's having sub-wavelength features.

Generalised homogenisation procedures for granular materials

Abstract: Engineering materials are generally non-homogeneous, yet standard continuum descriptions of such materials are admissible, provided that the size of the non-homogeneities is much smaller than the characteristic length of the deformation pattern. If this is not the case, either the individual non-homogeneities have to be described explicitly or the range of applicability of the continuum concept is extended by including additional variables or degrees of freedom. In the paper the discrete nature of granular materials is modelled in the simplest possible way by means of finite-difference equations. The difference equations may be homogenised in two ways: the simplest approach is to replace the finite differences by the corresponding Taylor expansions. This leads to a Cosserat continuum theory. A more sophisticated strategy is to homogenise the equations by means of a discrete Fourier transformation. The result is a Kunin-type non-local theory. In the following these theories are analysed by considering a model consisting of independent periodic 1D chauns of solid spheres connected by shear translational and rotational springs. It is found that the Cosserat theory offers a healthy balance between accuracy and simplicity. Kunin’s integral homogenisation theory leads to a non-local Cosserat continuum description that yields an exact solution, but does not offer any real simplification in the solution of the model equations as compared to the original discrete system. The rotational degree of freedom affects the phenomenology of wave propagation considerably. When the rotation is suppressed, only one type of wave, viz. a shear wave, exists. When the restriction on particle rotation is relaxed, the velocity of this wave decreases and another, high velocity wave arises.