Laser-generated thermoelastic acoustic sources and Lamb waves in anisotropic plates

Abstract

The effect of anisotropy and temperature on the dispersive Lamb wave generation and propagation in a transversely isotropic thin plate has been investigated. A quantitative numerical model for the laser-generated transient ultrasonic Lamb waves propagating along arbitrary directions is presented by using a finite-element method. All factors, such as spatial and time distributions of the incident laser beam, optical penetration, thermal diffusivity, thickness of the plate, and source–receiver distance, can be taken into account. The effects on the ultrasound waveform of the size of the optoacoustic source are investigated; in the limit of strong optical absorption, a subsurface thermal source gives rise to both vertical and lateral shear tensions. The lateral shear tension is equivalent to applying a shear dipole at the top face; the amplitude of the dipole is a function of material symmetry, contrary to the isotropic case, and the character and strength of the equivalent surface stress are a function of propagation direction. The specific results for the lower anti-symmetric and symmetric mode propagation in all planar directions are presented in the thermoelastic regime; the spatial dispersion (variation of the velocity with the direction of propagation) as well as the frequency dispersion is analyzed.