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For $t>0$, $x$ in a compact Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$, and $a\in C^\infty(M)$, $a\geq0$, $(\partial_t^2+a\partial_t-\Delta_g)u=0$ is called the damped wave equation.

My question is...why is the above PDE so named? That is, how does $a$ represent a damping mechanism?

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