Theory of photothermal effects in thermally inhomogeneous solids with constant effusivity

Abstract

The analysis of the thermal wave generation and propagation in thermally inhomogeneous solid with constant effusivity is presented. The developed theory is based on an exact solution of an inhomogeneous heat conduction equation with linear symmetry, taking into account internal heat sources of an arbitrary space distribution and time dependence. Generalized expressions for the complex temperature distribution and surface temperature variations are also presented. Two special cases that are particularly relevant for photothermal techniques are also discussed.