Differentiating between shear and longitudinal acoustic waves in a solid

AI Thread Summary
Differentiating between longitudinal and shear acoustic waves in a solid can be challenging, particularly in materials like optical fibers. Seismologists typically use the time of flight difference between the two wave types, noting that shear waves cannot propagate through liquids. However, this method may not be suitable for isolating waves in a solid medium. Increasing tension in the material could potentially affect the propagation speed, providing a means to differentiate the waves. Detecting the acoustic waves accurately is crucial for further analysis.
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Hi there,

I should probably know this (attempting to do a PhD in physics!) but is there a way to differentiate between longitudinal and shear acoustic waves in a solid?

I know that seismologists know which is which by using the time of flight difference for the two types of waves and the fact that shear waves can't travel through liquids. But I'm trying to isolate which wave is which within a solid (an optical fibre) and cannot think of way other than the time of flight method which isn't able to solve the problem..


Any ideas would be appreciated.

Cheers,
J
 
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Can you increase the tension and measure the change (if any) in the propagation speed?
 
How do you detect the acoustic waves?
 
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