Basic properties of Rayleigh surface wave propagation along curved surfaces

For the homogeneous isotropic linear elastic structures with curved surfaces of arbitrary form, the WKB method [Electromagnetic Wave Propagation, Radiation and Scattering (1991)] is applied to solve the motion differential equation of Rayleigh surface wave propagation along curved surfaces. Both the effects of the two curvature radii of curved surfaces which along and perpendicular to the propagation direction on the penetration property of waves are taken into account. The analytical expressions for Rayleigh wave number or wave velocity vs. curvature of curved surfaces are obtained by setting the propagation properties of Rayleigh waves on plane surface as basis. Some basic properties of the Rayleigh surface wave propagation along curved surfaces are described by means of theoretical analysis and numerical examples.