2026/05/13 by Alex J. Vernon, Konstantin Y. Bliokh · 1 voice
Physics and Astronomy · #physics.class-ph #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #cond-mat.other
arxiv published 2026/05/13 · arxiv updated 2026/05/14
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.