About the group
As a special interest, member-driven group, we are interested in physical acoustics and ultrasonics.
Fundamental aspects of acoustic wave propagation and the interaction of acoustic waves with matter are important in fields as diverse as phonon physics and seismology.
Ultrasonic wave generation, propagation and attenuation provide compositional and structural information in:
There is increasing interest in ultrasonic wave scattering in inhomogeneous materials varying from sea-bed sediments and modern (composite) materials, through to foodstuffs and biological tissues. This provides the basic physics of ultrasonic testing and imaging.
We are also interested in wave propagation in complex media in biomedical ultrasound for applications such as focused ultrasound surgery and drug delivery, where nonlinear effects can be important.
Other imaging, monitoring and inspection techniques include:
- photo-acoustics
- acoustic emission
- acoustical microscopy
Crucial to the exploitation of these methods in a quantitative scientific manner is the successful development of devices which generate and detect acoustic waves.
Equally important is the successful implementation of validated computational models to describe physical acoustics phenomena. High-performance computing platforms are increasingly being used to solve large-scale 3D problems.
What the group does
We promote physical acoustics and ultrasonics and their contribution to fundamental science and its applications.
Group physics prize
Bob Chivers Prize in Physical Acoustics
This annual prize promotes research in physical acoustics by recognising the best paper by a PhD student at a UK university.
Find out more about the Bob Chivers Prize in Physical Acoustics
Group events
Find events for the Physical Acoustics Group
We organise several events per year:
This is an informal forum to review developments in physical acoustics and ultrasonics in the UK and France. Experts give tutorials on the latest research tools and the basic science of acoustics for research students and more experienced researchers.
Talks from previous tutorial days
2024
2023
2022
2021
The scope of the conference is intentionally wide to encourage cross-fertilisation of ideas across different areas in physical acoustics. Previous presentations covered:
- theoretical developments (all methods);
- experimental measurements;
- transduction;
- linear or nonlinear elastic or acoustic (bulk, surface, guided) wave radiation, propagation and scattering;
- application to material characterisation;
- imaging (non-destructive testing, medical, underwater, seismology);
- ultrasound therapy; and
- surface acoustic wave devices.
Email [email protected] for updates on the next Anglo-French Physical Acoustics Conference.
Reports from the Anglo-French Physical Acoustics Conference
Find papers from our Anglo-French Physical Acoustics Conferences on Researchgate.
We also organise or co-sponsor meetings on subjects that have included:
- ultrasonic studies of bone;
- acoustic microscopy;
- acoustic trapping of nanoparticles; and
- the contactless generation and detection of ultrasound.
We focus on discussions between theoreticians and experimentalists from a wide range of institutions with a particular interest in improving the scientific basis of technological developments.
Committee and contact
| Category | Name | Start | End |
|---|
| Chair | Dr Theodosia Stratoudaki, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Secretary | Ms Emma Harris, MInstP | 2023 | 2027 |
| Treasurer | Dr Peter Huthwaite, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Reza Haqshenas, MInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Ordinary Member | Professor James Kwan, MInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Paul Prentice, FInstP | 2021 | 2025 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Richard Pyle, MInstP | 2024 | 2028 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Srinath Rajagopal, MInstP | 2022 | 2026 |
| Ordinary Member | Dr Claire Thring, CPhys MInstP | 2023 | 2027 |
