Simulation on laser-induced surface acoustic wave on isotropic cylinders by finite element method

Based on the thermoelastic theory, a finite element model is developed to simulate the process of laser inducing ultrasonic field in isotropic cylinders, which can take the temperature dependence of thermal parameters into account. Using the finite element model, we have simulated the ultrasonic fields induced by a pulse laser line source impacting on the generatrix of aluminum cylinders with different diameters. And the intact waveforms of surface acoustic wave (SAW including cylindrical Rayleigh and Whispering gallery (WG) modes) are presented, which are in very good agreement with the calculated and experimental waveforms in other literatures. Furthermore, the dispersion properties of cylindrical Rayleigh waves are analyzed by the method of phase spectral analysis, and the results show that with the increasing frequency, the phase velocity of cylindrical Rayleigh wave rapidly increases to the maximum value, and then gradually decreases to that of plane Rayleigh wave. With the diameter of cylinder decreasing, the maximum value of phase velocity and the corresponding frequency increase.