Exploring the Use of Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Sound and Vibration Generation

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Engineering

Background:

• Traditional vibration excitation methods can alter sample dynamics.
• Contactless excitation is desirable for precise mechanical analysis.
• Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) presents a novel, non-contact excitation approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate CAP as a non-contact mechanical excitation device.
• To compare CAP excitation with ultrasound excitation.
• To assess CAP's applicability for exciting small polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) samples.

Main Methods:

• Utilized scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) to visualize acoustic wavefronts.
• Employed a CAP probe and an ultrasound sensor for excitation.
• Adjusted sample dimensions to achieve resonance at probe excitation frequencies.

Main Results:

• Achieved high vibrational velocities in PMMA samples via resonant excitation.
• Demonstrated CAP's ability to generate acoustic wavefronts comparable to ultrasound.
• Identified advantages of CAP over traditional methods like electrodynamical shakers and hammer impact.

Conclusions:

• Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a viable alternative to acoustic excitation methods.
• CAP provides contactless, high-power excitation suitable for mechanical analysis.
• This technique offers advantages in frequency range and non-invasiveness compared to other methods.