Early transient responses of multi-span stepped single-walled carbon nanotubes using the method of reverberation ray matrix

• Early transient responses of stepped SWCNTs are studied by MRRM.
• Vibration analysis of SWCNTs with arbitrary boundaries is obtained by wave method.
• Shear strain becomes large in very short time frame, but not displacement.

The early transient responses of multi-span stepped single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) under impact loadings are studied by the method of reverberation ray matrix (MRRM). The dynamics model of the carbon nanotubes is established in the Fourier phase space on the basis of the nonlocal Timoshenko beam model. The wave solutions of SWCNTs with arbitrary boundary conditions are obtained by the wave method. The reverberation ray matrix of the multi-span stepped SWCNTs is the product of scattering, phase and permutation matrices, which can be determined by the impact loadings, continuous conditions and boundary conditions. The early transient responses can be calculated by the inverse Fourier transform of the sum of initial ray groups. It can be found that the early transient displacement response in the very short time subjected to the impact loading is very small, while the transient transverse shear strain becomes large in the very short time. The influences of nanotubes span number, nanotubes type and boundary conditions on the early transient responses of multi-span stepped SWCNTs are investigated.