A mortar spectral/finite element method for complex 2D and 3D elastodynamic problems

We present a hybrid spectral element/finite element domain decomposition method for solving elastic wave propagation problems. Aim of the method is to exploit both the enhanced accuracy of spectral elements, allowing significant reductions of the computational load, and the flexibility of finite elements in treating irregular geometries and nonlinear media. Interfaces between finite and spectral elements are managed by the mortar method, which enjoys optimal accuracy and allows to discretize the different regions independently. Several test cases illustrate the robustness of this method and its tolerance to a significant range of geometrical models, characterized by different grid refinements. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.