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Published March 1980 | public
Journal Article

Phonon focusing catastrophes

Abstract

We present an elegant application of formal catastrophe theory to phonon focusing phenomena in crystals. The standard analysis of phonon focusing breaks down near singular directions known as caustics. The theory we present, in addition to being numerically accurate, provides a qualitative picture of caustic surfaces which yields important new insights into the results of phonon propagation experiments. Supporting experimental evidence is also presented.

Additional Information

© 1980 Pergamon Press Ltd. Received 5 October 1979, by G. Burns. Supported by NSF grant DMR77-00036 and a grant from the JPL President's Fund.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 25, 2023