ACOUSTOELASTIC TOMOGRAPHIC RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TENSOR STRESS-FIELD

An algorithm is presented for determining the spatial distribution of a tensor stress field in a nonuniform stressed-strained state. The str ess tensor is determined by using acoustoelasticity relations, in part icular, relations giving the variations of the velocity of propagation of ultrasonic transverse linearly polarized waves as functions of the stress tensor components. The spatial distribution of the tensor stre ss field is constructed on the basis of repeated ultrasonic probing of a material in various directions and subsequent processing of the mea sured data by back projection.