Ultrasonic Absorption: An Introduction to the Theory of Sound Absorption and Dispersion in Gases, Liquids and Solids (Dover Books on Physics)

This systematic, clearly written text offers an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of physical acoustics, i.e., the theory of absorption and dispersion of ultrasonic waves in gases, liquids, and solids. The book's exceptional lucidity and thoroughness have helped make it a standard reference.The author, the late A. B. Bhatia of the University of Alberta, Canada, begins with a fundamental discussion of the velocity and absorption of ultrasonic waves in relation to the temperature and pressure of the medium (e.g., gas, solid) on one hand, and the frequency of the waves on the other hand. In addition to methods of measuring velocity and absorption, subsequent sections examine in detail such topics as wave propagation in an ideal fluid and an ideal elastic solid; shear and bulk coefficients of viscosity; relaxation in binary mixtures; absorption due to rotational isomerism; and thermoelastic damping.A major portion of the book is devoted to a thorough treatment of attenuation in liquids and solids, including the Boltzmann transport equation, the determination of Fermi surfaces, and attenuation due to diffusion in binary mixtures. Numerous diagrams clarify points in the text while an extensive bibliography offers an unusually complete source of reference materials.Wisely balancing a theoretical approach with close attention to experimental results, Ultrasonic Absorption offers advanced graduate students, research scientists — every worker in the field of physical acoustics — an unsurpassed reference to the underlying principles and empirical consequences of absorption and dispersion theory.