Analysis of the space-time dynamics of acoustic fields on the surface of a solid

The space-time dynamics of an acoustic field produced by a piezoelectric transducer in a pulsed mode is studied. The detection of acoustic fields is achieved using a Doppler laser interferometer. It is shown that, for a pictorial representation of the dynamics of a pulsed process, it is convenient to use the patterns of instantaneous spatial field distributions within the scanning area, the observation of which at successive instants makes it possible to trace the acoustic field variations on a time scale considerably smaller than the period of the ultrasonic wave. Experimental data demonstrating the process of phase propagation along the sample boundary as a function of time are presented. They are in good agreement with theoretical results obtained by using various methods of acoustic field calculation and different scalar potential distributions over the transducer surface. It is shown that the velocity of phase propagation along the sample boundary, which is mainly determined by the wave front curvature of the elastic wave incident on the sample surface, can considerably exceed the wave velocity in the unbounded medium.