Laser ultrasonic measurements of acoustic waves generated at solid-liquid interfaces

Experimental results for laser-excited Scholte and leaky Rayleigh waves at the interface between a transparent solid and a light absorbing liquid are given. The amplitude, dispersion, attenuation and width of both Scholte and leaky Rayleigh signals are studied for different concentrations of crystal violet in water. The results show that Scholte waves are a useful tool to investigate acoustic properties of fluids. The temperature dependence of th e Scholte velocity in the binary mixture butoxy-ethanol/water is studied.