Stress Wave Generation in Solids Using a Low Power Laser,

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with both the experimental and theoretical aspects of thermally generated stress waves in nondispersive solids. The initial purpose was to determine whether a detectable stress wave could be generated in a solid by exposing a surface to energy from a low power (about 75 watts peak), pulsed solid state laser. Previous experimenters have used high power (> 1 megawatt) lasers to deliver pulses of energy to a sample. The advantages of the solid state laser are its nondestructive nature, safety, size, and cost. Aluminum and glass bars were used as samples, and X-cut quartz transducers were used to detect the stress waves. To increase the absorption of the laser energy, the target surface of each sample was blackened. Thermal stress waves generated due to absorption of laser energy were detected. For comparison with the experimental results, the one dimensional thermoelastic wave equation was solved using impulse response techniques. A theoretical prediction for the shape of the generated stress waves was obtained.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADA022239

Entities

People

  • Joseph Samuel Barker

Organizations

  • University of California, Los Angeles

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Aluminum
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Equations
  • Lasers
  • Solid State Lasers
  • Stress Waves
  • Stresses
  • Thermal Stresses
  • Transducers
  • Wave Equations
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Microwave Engineering.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy