A quantitative schlieren method for the investigation of axisymmetrical shock waves

Schlieren methods are well established to visualize acoustical, thermodynamic, and other phenomena, which influence the refractive index distribution in transparent media. We propose a quantitative schlieren method for the investigation of an ultrasonic field distribution generated by an electromagnetic (EM) shock wave source. In our schlieren system we have used a shiftable slit with variable width for sampling the angular spectrum of diffracted light. To compute the pressure distributions of shock waves a tomographical concept has been utilized. We discuss accuracy and limitations of the schlieren method and compare reconstruction results with sensor measurements