About the lecture
Those of us with good hearing are familiar with using sound to interpret the environment around us – whether that is sensing the size of the space we are in, identifying the location of a source of sound or recognising the plink of a tap dripping into water.
However, working at frequencies higher than the human ear can hear, we can also use sound – or ultrasound – to learn about the properties of materials that sound waves travel through or bounce off. By doing so, we can create better products, protect against material failure by checking for defects, and design novel materials.
In her inaugural lecture, Professor Pinfield will show how waves are scattered by small objects in their path and how building models can help us use these scattering phenomena to provide information from ultrasonic measurements. She will explore what mayonnaise, fibre composite components for aircraft and stealth coatings for submarines all have in common.