The transducer vibratory profile effects on the detection of the transient ultrasonic field scattered by a rigid point reflector

In this study a generalized approach, based on the impulse response technique, is developed to evaluate the transient ultrasonic field scattered by a rigid point reflector and detected by a planar circular transducer characterized by a non-uniform vibratory profile. For this purpose, several analytical functions are used to represent the non-uniform vibration amplitude of the transducer. All these functions have maximum amplitude at the transducer's center and decrease monotonically away from axis. The amplitude variation of these functions has a direct effect on the shape of the average pressure detected by the transducer. Some numerical results are presented to illustrate the effects of a non-uniformly vibrating source on the detected transient pressure. The results show the relative importance of the edge wave modifications in the case of source having non-uniform vibration amplitude distribution. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.