Coupled thermomechanical waves in hyperbolic thermoelasticity

Using models incorporating a thermal relaxation time (hyperbolic models), w e study the properties of spatially periodic thermoelastic waves propagatin g in an infinite rod. Analyzing the Lord-Schulman and Green-Lindsay linear models, we reveal dependencies of decay rates and frequency shifts of tempe rature and displacement upon the wave number for the case of weak thermoela stic coupling. We explore numerically a general nonlinear hyperbolic model, describing the rime evolution of initially sinusoidal distributions of dis placement and temperature. Mechanisms of nonlinear interaction between ther mal and mechanical fields are qualitatively analyzed It is demonstrated tha t larger relaxation times may provide smoother temperature profiles at an i ntermediate stage of the dynamics.