Diffusion-Wave Fields

This book develops a unified mathematical framework for treating a wide variety of diffusion-related periodic phenomena in such areas as heat transfer, electrical conduction, and light scattering. Deriving and using Green functions in one and higher dimensions to provide a unified approach, the author develops the properties of diffusion-wave fields first for the well-studied case of thermal-wave fields and then applies the methods to nonthermal fields. The presentation, largely in the form of case studies directly applicable in a wide range of experimental methodologies, is intended for graduate students, professional scientists and engineers working in fields that involve diffusion waves, including thermal-wave, photothermal and photoacoustic spectroscopies, non-destructive evaluation, semiconductor and electronic device carrier plasma-wave characterization, and biomedical laser tissue diffuse photon density-wave diagnostics. The treatment requires no more mathematical background than a course in advanced calculus and mathematical analysis. Problems at the ends of each chapter complement the main text and some serve to extend the material to current research.