Simplified expressions of the subtracted Kramers-Kronig relations using the expanded forms applied to ultrasonic...

The Kramers-Kronig (KK) relations are a large class of integral transformations that exploit the broad principle of simple causality in order to link the physical properties of matter and materials. In applications to the complex-valued wavenumber for acoustic propagation, the method of subtractions is used to form convergent integral relations between the phase velocity and the attenuation coefficient. When the method of subtractions is applied in the usual manner, the integrands in the relations become unnecessarily complicated. In this work, an expanded form of the subtracted relations is presented, which is essentially a truncated Taylor series expansion of the Hilbert transforms. The implementation of the relations only requires the explicit evaluation of two simply expressed integrals involving the Hilbert transform kernel. These two integrals determine the values of the other terms in the subtracted relations, demonstrating the computational efficiency of the technique. The method is illustrated analytically through its application to power-law attenuation coefficients and its associated dispersion, which are observed in a wide variety of materials. This approach explicitly shows the central role of the Hilbert transform kernel in the KK relations, which can become obscured in other formulations.