Calculations of the backscattering and radiation force functions of spherical targets for use in ultrasonic beam assessment

Knowledge of the frequency dependence of the backscattering from spherical targets, or of the associated radiation force function Y_p, is of considerable practical importance for the choice of material and size of sphere for transducer beam profiling. The former is often employed in a pulse-echo situation to define iso-echo contours, while the latter is used in absolute measurements of intensity.The present paper contains the graphical results of the calculation of the backscattering from 43 materials and the radiation force function for 48 materials, all of which were assumed to be immersed in water. The range of ka values displayed is from 0 to 20, calculations being performed in ka steps of 0.05. It is shown that the frequency behaviour of the radiation force function is an unreliable index of the frequency behaviour of the backscattering.