Modelling of a continuously inhomogeneous coating of an elastic sphere by a system of homogeneous elastic layers in the problem of sound scattering

On the basis of analytical solutions of problems on the diffraction of a plane sound wave on a homogeneous elastic sphere with a discretely layered coating and with a continuously-inhomogeneous coating, the direction diagrams of the scattered field are calculated. It is shown that a radially inhomogeneous coating can be modelled by a system of homogeneous elastic layers. For a linear dependence of the inhomogeneity, the number of homogeneous layers in the discretely-layered coating needed to ensure a prescribed accuracy of matching of the direction diagrams of bodies with a discretely layered coating to a continuously-inhomogeneous coating has been determined.