title: An optoacoustic point source for acoustic scale model measurements.
abstract: A massless acoustic source is proposed for scale model work. This source is generated by focusing a pulsed laser beam to rapidly heat the air at the focal point. This produces an expanding small plasma ball which generates a sonic impulse that may be used as an acoustic point source. Repeatability, frequency response, and directivity of the source were measured to show that it can serve as a massless point source. The impulse response of a rectangular space was determined using this type of source. A good match was found between the predicted and the measured impulse responses of the space.
authors.affiliation: Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 13000, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland. javier.gomez.bolanos@aalto.fi
authors.forename: Javier Gómez
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bolaños
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pulkki
authors.forename: Pasi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karppinen
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hæggström
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006361:Heating; D007834:Lasers; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009038:Motion; D011312:Pressure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software; D013016:Sound; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013997:Time Factors; D014160:Transducers, Pressure