Semianalytical modeling of plate flexural waves generated by laser‐initiated air shock waves

Abstract

The paper describes the results of the semianalytical modeling of the interaction of laser‐initiated air shock waves with an infinite elastic plate. The impact of the incident shock wave on the plate has been approximated by an equivalent cylindrically diverging surface force resulting from the combined surface pressure of the incident and reflected shock waves. This force has been then represented in the wave number‐frequency domain by means of Hankel and Fourier transforms which have been carried out numerically ‐ and the problem has been solved using the Green's function method applied to an infinite plate. The resulting frequency spectra and time histories of the generated flexural wave pulses have been calculated for different values of laser pulse energy and for different heights of the laser beam focusing above the plate surface. The obtained theoretical results have been compared with the results of the reduced‐scale model experiments on shock wave interaction with the ground in which large plastic and wooden plates have been used to represent the ground surface. The comparison shows that the obtained semi‐analytical results are in good agreement with the experimental ones.