A numerical study of the effect of drive level on the intensity loss from an ultrasonic beam

Knowledge of the spatial distribution of intensity loss from an ultrasonic beam is vital to bioeffect predictions such as heating and streaming. A method for calculating the distribution of intensity loss over a finite-amplitude ultrasonic beam is described. The technique demonstrates that the location of peak intensity loss varies considerably with drive level for a plane circular source, as does the overall distribution of intensity loss across the beam. The effects are shown to be less pronounced but still significant for a focused source.