An expression for the radiation force exerted by an acoustic beam with arbitrary wavefront (L).

Most studies investigating the acoustic radiation force upon a target are based on symmetry considerations between the object and the incident beam. Even so, this symmetry condition is not always fulfilled in several cases. An expression for the radiation force is obtained as a function of the beam-shape and the scattering coefficients of an incident wave and the object, respectively. The expression for the radiation force caused by a plane wave on a rigid sphere is used to validate the formula. This method represents a theoretical advance permitting different interpretations and predictions concerned to the acoustic radiation force phenomenon.