Experimental observation on a frequency spectrum of a plate mode of a predominantly leaky nature

The problem of normal propagation modes of a plate submerged in a fluid is usually treated by considering continuous leaky Lamb waves or by considering transient waves. Angular plate resonances are associated with modes obtained by the first approach, whereas frequency plate resonances are associated with modes obtained using the second method. The dispersion curves for these two kinds of mode are almost identical, except for certain modes at large phase speed. In an experiment one is never dealing with one of these extreme situations because the applied signal is never infinitely long and the beam used to insonify the plate is never infinitely wide. In this paper we report on the manifestation in the transmission frequency spectrum, of a plate mode of a predominantly leaky nature. The extra mode, which has never been reported on, is observed between the cutoff frequencies of the symmetrical transient modes S1 and S2 of a submerged aluminium plate. The modes are identified by means of an Argand diagram.