528 12 Integral Transform Methods with Applications
39. The stress-strain relation and equation of motion for a viscoelastic rod
in the absence of external force are
∂e
∂t
=
1
E
∂σ
∂t
+
σ
η
,
∂σ
∂x
= ρ
∂
2
u
∂t
2
,
where e is the strain, η is the coefficient of viscosity, and the displace-
ment u (x, t) is related to the strain by e = ∂u/∂x. Prove that the stress
σ (x, t) satisfies the modified wave equation
∂
2
σ
∂x
2
−
ρ
η
∂σ
∂t
=
1
c
2
∂
2
σ
∂t
2
,c
2
= E/ρ.
Show that the stress distribution in a semi-infinite viscoelastic rod sub-
ject to the boundary and initial conditions,
˙u (0,t)=UH(t) ,σ(x, t) → 0asx →∞,t>0,
σ (x, 0) = 0, ˙u (x, 0) = 0,
is given by
σ (x, t)=−Uρcexp
−
Et
2η
I
0
Et
2η
t
2
−
x
2
c
2
1
2
H
t −
x
c
.
40. An elastic string is stretched between x = 0 and x = l and is initially
at rest in the equilibrium position. Show that the Laplace transform
solution for the displacement field subject to the boundary conditions
y (0,t)=f (t)andy (l, t)=0,t>0is
y (x, s)=f (s)
sinh
&
s
c
(l − x)
'
sinh
sl
c
.
41. The end x = 0 of a semi-infinite submarine cable is maintained at
a potential V
0
H (t). If the cable has no initial current and potential,
determine the potential V (x, t)atpointx and at time t.
42. Obtain the solution of the Stokes–Ekman problem (see Debnath, 1995)
of an unsteady boundary layer flow in a semi-infinite body of viscous
fluid bounded by an infinite horizontal disk at z = 0, when both the
fluid and the disk rotate with a uniform angular velocity Ω about the z-
axis. The governing boundary layer equation, the boundary condi tions,
and the initial conditions are
∂q
∂t
+2Ωiq = ν
∂
2
q
∂z
2
,z>0,t>0,
q (z,t)=ae
iω t
+ be
−iω t
on z =0,t>0,
q (z,t) → 0asz →∞,t>0,
q (z,t)=0 at t ≤ 0, for all z>0,