Background-oriented schlieren technique with vector tomography for measurement of axisymmetric pressure fields of laser-induced underwater shock waves

Abstract This study aims to overcome the problems that existing background-oriented schlieren (BOS) techniques based on computed tomography (CT-BOS) face when measuring pressure fields of laser-induced underwater shock waves. To do this, it proposes a novel BOS technique vector (VT-BOS) an axisymmetric target. The remarkable feature proposed is reconstruction field with nonzero divergence, such as wave. approach approximate relation between projection and reconstructed field. For comparison, waves are measured VT-BOS, CT-BOS, needle hydrophone. It found VT-BOS significantly better than CT-BOS in terms convergence, less dependence spatial resolution acquired images, lower computational cost. can be applied not only fluid dynamical fields, but also other targets areas, electromagnetics thermodynamics. Graphical abstract