skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Photoacoustic waves generated by absorption of laser radiation in optically thin cylinders

Journal Article · · Journal of the Acoustical Society of America; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1121/1.408195· OSTI ID:5804732
; ;  [1]
  1. Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)

The properties of photoacoustic waves radiated by an optically thin, infinitely long fluid cylinder can be found through solution of the wave equation for pressure. The amplitude and phase of the acoustic wave emitted by a cylinder irradiated by sinusoidally modulated light are first determined. The response of the cylinder to a pulse of radiation whose duration is short compared with the transit time of sound across the cylinder is then found by Fourier transformation of the frequency domain solution. The expressions derived here for the photoacoustic pressure are shown to give the radial eigenfrequencies of the cylinder, the frequency of oscillation of a cylindrical bubble, and a response of the cylinder to long light pulses proportional to the 1/2th time derivative of the optical pulse. The character of the photoacoustic waves is shown to be determined, in part, by repeated reflections of the outgoing cylindrical wave at the interface between the cylinder and its surrounding fluid. The results of several experiments with pulsed laser excitation of fluid cylinders are reported. 34 refs., 8 figs.

OSTI ID:
5804732
Journal Information:
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America; (United States), Vol. 94:2 pt 1; ISSN 0001-4966
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English