Laser ultrasonic generation at the surface of a liquid metal

The noncontacting nature of laser-based ultrasonic measurement has made it attractive in many applications. While most of the applications thus far involve solid samples, molten metals encountered in some stages of metal processing appear well suited to this technique. Possible applications for liquid metals include locating and characterizing the liquid/solid interface; characterizing a surface layer, contaminant, or alloying constituent; and measuring the temperature of the surface or of the bulk. The aim of this work was to characterize laser generation of ultrasound in liquid metals to facilitate the development of techniques for these applications.