Acoustic radiation force on a heated sphere including effects of heat transfer and acoustic streaming

In this investigation, our previous theoretical result on the subject of the acoustic radiation force on a heated sphere [Lee and Wang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 75, 88–96 (1984)] is reexamined. For a more complete understanding, effects of heat transfer and acoustic streaming are taken into consideration. Essentially, it was found that at high sound-pressure levels in a steady situation, the force is not affected significantly by the temperature profile, consistent with the result of an experimental work [Leung and Wang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 77, 1686–1691 (1985)]. This resolves the earlier apparent contradiction between the theory and the experiment. But our previous result is reaffirmed that, if excessive hot air is accumulated around the sphere, which can happen in transient situations, the force can be weakened or reversed in sign. As a by-product of our study, a heat transfer model due to acoustic streaming was also found.