Diffraction of shear waves by a nanosized spherical cavity

Surface effects become important in the mechanical performances of nanostructured devices and materials, owing to the increasing ratio of surface to bulk volume. In the present paper, the diffraction of shear waves (S -wave) by a nanosized spherical cavity is studied theoretically based on the surface elasticity theory. It is found that when the cavity size reduces to nanometers, surface effects play a significant role in the diffraction of elastic waves. As an example, the surface effects on the dynamic stress concentration around the spherical cavity are discussed in detail.