Effects of heat conduction and viscosity on photoacoustic waves from droplets

The coupled equations for pressure and temperature that describe the photoacoustic effect are solved for a laser-irradiated droplet surrounded by a second fluid to determine the effects of heat conduction and viscosity on the emitted ultrasonic wave. A numerical method of solving the coupled equations is used to give frequency domain expressions for the photoacoustic wave emitted by the droplet. The results show that the range of diameters over which the solution to the wave equation remains valid is quite large, and that deviations from the wave equation solution in experimentally recorded photoacoustic waveforms is not expected until the diameter of the droplet is so small as to approach the viscous or thermal heat conduction lengths of the fluid. (C) 1997 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.