Interaction of Acoustic and Electromagnetic Waves in Nondestructive Evaluation and Medical Applications

Nonlinear acoustic nondestructive evaluation (NA NDE) methods have a higher sensitivity for defect detection than standard methods. These methods use various kinds of acoustic wave interactions. In this paper, we suggest augmenting the acoustic framework and use the interaction between acoustic and electromagnetic waves. A brief review of NA NDE and medical nonlinear acoustic imaging methods is presented. Medical methods based on electromagnetic wave modulation by an acoustic radiation force are discussed where improvements using ultrasound contrast agents are suggested. The estimation of the modulation of a radar signal by a crack vibration were made based on standard static measurements. The effects of modulation of an acoustic wave by an electromagnetic field are briefly considered for the method of crack detection in metal materials. The effects considered in this paper may be used in the new methods of NDE and medical diagnostics.