Laser dynamic optoacoustic diagnostics of condensed media

Laser dynamic optoacoustic diagnostics is a method of studying materials that has rapidly developed in recent years, and which uses lasers to generate short-period acoustic perturbations and records these perturbations–responses of the material with high time resolution–for subsequent analysis of the fine structure of the response bearing information on the properties of the specimens. The fundamental concepts of the varieties of the method are given. The experience of applying it is generalized for analyzing inhomogeneous liquid and solid specimens, the process of crystallization from the melt, dielectrics, and films of surface-active materials.