An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A type of → longitudinal wave that consists of mechanical → vibrations of small → amplitude propagated in an → elastic medium. Acoustic waves exhibit phenomena like → diffraction, → reflection, and → interference, but not → polarization. Also called → sonic and → sound waves. See also → acoustic wave equation. The branch of physics concerned with the properties of sonic waves is called → acoustics.

→ acoustic; → wave.

A → differential equation that describes the time evolution of the → scalar potential of the field φ. It is expressed by: ∇²φ = (1/c²)∂²φ/∂t², where c is → velocity of → longitudinal waves and ∇² is the → Laplacian operator.

→ acoustic; → wave; → equation.