Plane wave refraction on convex and concave angles in geometric acoustics approximation

Abstract

An exact analytical solution to the eikonal equation for a plane wave refracted on a boundary comprising both convex and concave obtuse angles has been built. Under the convex angle summit the solution has a line of discontinuity in the ray vector field and in the first derivatives of the first arrival times, and under the concave angle it has a cone of waves diffracted on this angle. This cone corresponds to the Keller diffraction cone in the geometric diffraction theory. The relation between the eikonal equation and the resultant Hamilton–Jacoby equation for arrival times of downward waves and the ray parameter conservation equation is investigated. Solutions to these equations coincide for pre-critical incidence angles and differ for super-critical angles. It is shown that the arrival times of maximum amplitude waves, which are of the greatest practical interest, coincide with the times calculated from the ray parameter field for the ray parameter conservation equation. The numerical algorithm proposed for calculation of these times can be used for arbitrary speed models.