On the radiation of ultrasound into an isotropic elastic half-space via wavefront expansions of the impulse response

The problem of propagation of pulses in the radiating near zone of a large circular normal transducer directly coupled to a homogeneous and isotropic elastic half-space is re-visited. It is shown that for certain observation angles the impulse response approach is computationally inefficient. A new method based on the so-called wavefront expansions of the impulse response is developed instead. The expansions are obtained by the analytical harmonic synthesis of the high-frequency asymptotics of the transducer field. Unlike these asymptotics the wavefront expansions are expressed in terms of elementary functions only. The direct P, edge P and S waves as well as the transition regions (penumbra and axial region) are described. The uniform asymptotic expansions applicable throughout the radiating near zone are derived as well. The code based on the time convolution of the pressure input function with the wavefront expansions is compared to a direct numerical code. It is thousands of times faster but practically just as accurate except that the phenomena related to the head waves are not described. Formulas pertaining to the far field are also offered.