Elastic waves, types generated

The contact method can be used to obtain the complete set of stiffness constants for samples with much smaller dimensions. In this method [3,5], a piezoelectric ceramic transducer, bonded to one surface of the sample, generated a beam of pulsed 10 MHz elastic waves that was subsequently received by another transducer bonded to the opposite surface. The wave velocity was calculated from the transit time of the ultrasonic pulse measured on a gated time interval counter. Longitudinal and transverse waves were generated using two different types of transducers. 

Elastic (sonic) waves are also generated during a fracture event, and the locus of intersections of these waves with a propagating crack front gives rise to another type of surface feature known as a Wallner line. Wallner lines are arc shaped, and they provide information regarding stress distributions and directions of crack propagation. 

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