Singular integral equations with two fixed singularities and applications to fractured composites

A symmetric characteristic singular integral equation with two fixed singularities at the endpoints in the class of functions bounded at the ends is analyzed. It reduces to a vector Hilbert problem for a half-disc and then to a vector Riemann-Hilbert problem on a real axis with a piecewise constant matrix coefficient that has two points of discontinuity. A condition of solvability and a closed-form solution to the integral equation are derived. For the Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind in the right hand-side, the solution of the integral equation is expressed in terms of two nonorthogonal polynomials with associated weights. Based on this new generalized spectral relation for the singular operator with two fixed singularities an approximate solution to the complete singular integral equation is derived by recasting it as an infinite system of linear algebraic equations of the second kind. The method is illustrated by solving two problems of fracture mechanics, the antiplane and plane strain problems for a finite crack in a composite plane. The plane is formed by a strip and two half-planes; the elastic constants of the strip are different from those of the half-planes. The crack is orthogonal to the interfaces, and it is located in the strip with the ends lying in the interfaces. Numerical results are reported and discussed.

Diffraction of an obliquely incident electromagnetic wave by an impedance right-angled concave wedge

Scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave by an anisotropic impedance right-angled concave wedge at skew incidence is analyzed. A closed-form solution is derived by reducing the problem to a symmetric order-2 vector Riemann-Hilbert problem (RHP) on the real axis. The problem of matrix factorization leads to a scalar RHP on a genus-3 Riemann surface. Its solution is derived by the Weierstrass integrals. Due to a special symmetry of the problem the associated Jacobi inversion problem is solved in terms of elliptic integrals, not a genus-3 Riemann `e-function. The electric and magnetic field components are expressed through the Sommerfeld integrals, and the incident and reflected waves are recovered.