WAKES AND WAVES IN N DIMENSIONS

An impulsive point excitation in a linear, nondispersive wave medium c an produce an after-signal, which has been called a ''wake'' in the ma thematical physics literature. Relations are derived between such wake s and the dimensionality of the space by regarding a point source in s pace of dimensionality N - 2 as a line source in N - 1 dimensions and as a plane source in N dimensions. The ''magic'' of one and three dime nsions is discussed from a new point of view.