Nonlinear Effects in Thermoacoustic Pressure Generation Mechanism—Analytic Models

Abstract—Influence of nonlinear hydrodynamic effects on formation of pressure pulses investigated in condensed media under pulsed actions leading to fast local variation in their density. In contrast to the ordinary thermoacoustic mechanism where density variation is caused by absorption of the incident radiation energy, models with the given space–time perturbation of density in an incompressible fluid are considered. It is shown how hydrodynamic nonlinearities give rise to transformation of a pressure pulse generated at different perturbation amplitudes and durations.