THERMOELASTIC MODELING OF LASER-INDUCED STRESS WAVES IN PLATES

A model correlating the transient thermoelastic response of an isotrop ic material to the input characteristics of a high-power Nd-YAG laser pulse is presented The model is developed based on the thermoelastic f ormulation proposed by Green and Lindsay. Correlation is established b y introducing the spatial and temporal attributes particular to the la ser into the forcing function of the model. Experimental waveforms com pare favorably with the finite element results described by the model. Transient ultrasonic displacements obtained in plates of various thic knesses are given to demonstrate the feasibility of the model.