Attraction by sound—examples on the negative acoustic radiation forces of Bessel “tractor” beams on a sphere

Abstract

Expressions for the axial (i.e. acting along the axis of wave propagation) and transverse (lateral) acoustic radiation forces on a suspended object in an ideal fluid are derived for arbitrary shaped beams. These expressions are obtained from the integration of the radiation stress tensor in the far-field. Numerical examples on non-vortex and vortex Bessel beams on a spherical target are presented. It is demonstrated the existence of both “pushing” and “tractor” behaviors for which the axial force can be oriented, respectively, along the direction of wave propagation or opposite to it. This can be adjusted by choosing specific values of the beam cone angle and the sphere size factor ka (where k is the wavenumber and a is the sphere's radius). Furthermore, by changing the topological charge m of the beam and the position of the sphere, the transverse force may be oriented radially (outward or inward) for m=0 or may exhibit a vortex pattern for m ≥ 1.