The large range of applications of acoustical methods and techniques in modern society demands a thorough exploration of the nonlinear properties of sound wave propagation in different media and environments, and of the effects caused by nonlinear interaction of sound and medium. The great range of interesting physical phenomena which occur in nonlinear acoustics helps stimulate the extensive research in the field.

The topic of surface waves lies at the interface between a number of disci plines - physics, theoretical and applied mechanics, electroacoustics, ap plied mathematics, surface science and seismology. This volume, based on papers delivered at European Mechanics Colloquium 226, reflects this diversity in approach and background, while showing strong links between phenomena arising from different fields. The emphasis is on recent de velopments such as nonlinear and other nonclassical effects,which have great importance for both pure science and for applications such as signal processing, nondestructive evaluation and seismic studies. In recent years there has been considerable progress in the mathe matical treatment of nonlinear effects, of viscoelastic and of more novel constitutive effects which modify the predictions of linear elastic and piezo electric theory for surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagation. A number of these themes serve to group the contents of this volume. Part I contains recent advances in the rigorous mathematical treatment of nonlinearity, together with a paper giving experimental results showing the need for further theoretical development. Part II deals with anisotropic elasticity, showing that even the linear theory presents many possible behaviours, which are still not fully categorized.

Market: Acousticians, research scientists, instructors, and graduate and advanced undergraduate students in nonlinear acoustics. This book contains a collection of papers by authors of the Former Soviet Union. The topics covered are media with "structural" nonlinearities, optical generation of sound, acoustic beat-wave interactions, acoustic shock waves, thermal self-focusing of acoustic waves, solitons, statistical nonlinear acoustics, media with relaxation and oscillatory degrees of freedom, parametric arrays, and fluid cavitation.