Acoustic Chirality

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Vernon, Alex J., Bliokh, Konstantin Y.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Vernon, Alex J.
Bliokh, Konstantin Y.
author_facet Vernon, Alex J.
Bliokh, Konstantin Y.
contents We reveal a previously unknown continuous symmetry and conservation law in the equations of linear isotropic elasticity, which describe the chirality of elastic waves. We show that the integral chirality is determined by the population imbalance between right- and left-handed transverse phonons, whereas the local chirality density generally involves both transverse and longitudinal wave components. We also introduce the related concepts of acoustic helicity and ``false chirality''. The theory is illustrated with simple interference fields exhibiting distinct distributions of chirality, spin angular momentum, and false chirality. Our results establish chirality as a fundamental property of elastic waves and provide a general theoretical framework for chiral acoustic phenomena.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_13249
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Acoustic Chirality
Vernon, Alex J.
Bliokh, Konstantin Y.
Classical Physics
Materials Science
Other Condensed Matter
We reveal a previously unknown continuous symmetry and conservation law in the equations of linear isotropic elasticity, which describe the chirality of elastic waves. We show that the integral chirality is determined by the population imbalance between right- and left-handed transverse phonons, whereas the local chirality density generally involves both transverse and longitudinal wave components. We also introduce the related concepts of acoustic helicity and ``false chirality''. The theory is illustrated with simple interference fields exhibiting distinct distributions of chirality, spin angular momentum, and false chirality. Our results establish chirality as a fundamental property of elastic waves and provide a general theoretical framework for chiral acoustic phenomena.
title Acoustic Chirality
topic Classical Physics
Materials Science
Other Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13249