The validity of the long-wave approximation for solitary waves in fluid-filled elastic tubes (Q638725)

The authors discuss the validity of the long-wave approximation for solitary waves in fluid-filled elastic tubes. Many scientists working in this area assume the validity of long wave approximation and as a result of this assumption they neglected the effect of axial displacement of the tube. To justify their view, the authors derive the exact equations of motion of a fluid-filled elastic tube including the effect of axial displacement (Section 2). By seeking a travelling wave solution to the original field equations, they obtain a relation between the axial and radial displacement components. Using this relation they made a linear approximation for the derivative of the radial displacement and the axial displacement. By studying the resulting differential equations numerically they show the importance of the contribution of axial displacement on the amplitude and the shape of solitary wave. The work is well written and may find readers working in the area of wave propagation in fluid-filled elastic tubes.