Mechanical wave

A traveling wave is a wave that propagates between limits or on a one-dimensional extended medium ( cable) in one direction. The term should emphasize the difference to the standing wave. The term traveling wave is common only in certain subject areas.

The traveling wave can be described as approximately one-dimensional phenomenon with the formula for a plane wave. In the harmonic, that is, sinusoidal case, the deflection:

The amplitude, the angular wavenumber, the angular frequency, time and phase.

Is the phase velocity of the wave

Is the wavelength.

Physiology

In physiology, a traveling wave is a wave described by Nobel Prize winner Georg von Békésy in the inner ear. It is caused by the entry of sound into the inner ear and deflected by pressure fluctuations in the basilar membrane from. The shaft performs in accordance with its frequency at a particular location of the basilar membrane at a maximum deflection. The link rate / Basilarmembranauslenkung is given by the mechanical properties of the basilar membrane. The natural frequency of the diaphragm portions decreases from the base to the apex, corresponding to the decrease of the stiffness and the increase in mass. At the point of maximum deflection of the shaft completed their migration and is attenuated by anti- resonance of the tectorial membrane.

These location - frequency transform decomposes the acoustic signal roughly into his frequencies. Thus, the cochlear amplifier ( cochlear amplifier) ​​is activated in the outer hair cells of the extent enhances the decomposition process of the frequencies that individual frequencies can be distinguished by the ear. This mechanism is an important basis to be able to understand human language.

Engineering and Physics

In technology, traveling waves are in, for example, Observed and used high-voltage lines and electric motors. The signal amplification in traveling-wave tubes based on the coupling of a traveling wave with a focused beam free-flying electrons.

If the wave spatially limited, so is a pulse, one can define an envelope that surrounds him. The pulse corresponds according to the Fourier analysis of a frequency band whose center of gravity is moving with the group velocity. If the propagation velocity depends on the wavelength and certain limits are observed, it is called dimensionally stable solitons.

In the traveling wave accelerator, free electrons are accelerated to high kinetic energy, by " surfing " on an electromagnetic wave in a suitably shaped waveguide.