Changes in ultrasonic pulse shapes due to nonlinear processes

Acoustooptic interaction theory is applied to ultrasonic pulses in order to determine pulse parameters from the light diffraction pattern produced by the pulses. Experiments are described to show how pulse shapes change when propagation is in a nonlinear liquid. It is shown that pure electronic determinations of pulse shapes do not describe all the changes accurately whenever the probe response is not known exactly. Use of the present method is able to eliminate this problem. Examples of pulse propagation as investigated by acoustooptic method are given and evaluated.