Introduction to a topical issue 'nonlinear energy transfer in dynamical and acoustical Systems'

This topical issue is devoted to recent developments in the broader field of energy transfer across scales in nonlinear dynamical and acoustical systems. Nonlinear energy transfers are common in Nature, with perhaps the most famous example being energy cascading from large to small length scales in turbulent flows. Yet nonlinearity has been traditionally perceived either as an unavoidable nuisance or as an unwelcome design restriction in engineering systems. Nowadays, however, this trend is reversing, with nonlinear phenomena being intensely studied in diverse disciplines. Furthermore, strong nonlinearity is now intentionally used and explored in a variety of mechanical and physical settings, such as granular media, acoustic metamaterials, nonlinear energy sinks, essentially nonlinear and nonlocal lattices, vibro-impact oscillators, vibration and shock isolation systems, nanotechnology, biomimetic systems, microelectronics, energy harvesters and in other applications. This topical issue is an attempt to document in a single volume some of these recent research developments, in order to establish a common basis and provide motivation and incentive for further development. The aim is to discuss and compare theoretical and experimental approaches pursued by research groups in different areas, and describe the state of the art of nonlinear energy transfer phenomena in an as broad as possible range of applications of current interest. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nonlinear energy transfer in dynamical and acoustical systems'.