Wave chaos in acoustics and elasticity

Interpreting wave phenomena in terms of an underlying ray dynamics adds a new dimension to the analysis of linear wave equations. Forming explicit connections between spectra and wavefunctions on the one hand and the properties of a related ray dynamics on the other hand is a comparatively new research area, especially in elasticity and acoustics. The theory has indeed been developed primarily in a quantum context; it is increasingly becoming clear, however, that important applications lie in the field of mechanical vibrations and acoustics. We provide an overview over basic concepts in this emerging field of wave chaos. This ranges from ray approximations of the Green function to periodic orbit trace formulae and random matrix theory and summarizes the state of the art in applying these ideas in acoustics—both experimentally and from a theoretical/numerical point of view.