Examples

k-Wave-python examples are organized by topic. Each example uses the setup()/run() pattern and can be run directly:

uv run python examples/ivp_homogeneous_medium.py

No GPU required — all examples run on CPU with NumPy.

Start with the Your First k-Wave Simulation tutorial, then explore by topic:

Initial Value Problems (IVP)

Learn fundamental wave physics using initial pressure distributions.

• Homogeneous medium — simplest 2D simulation

• Heterogeneous medium — spatially varying sound speed and density

• 1D simulation — reflections at impedance boundaries

• 3D simulation — extending to three dimensions

• Binary sensor mask — defining sensor regions

• Recording particle velocity — velocity field output

• Photoacoustic waveforms — 2D vs 3D wave spreading

• Loading external image — image-based initial pressure

Time-Varying Pressure Sources (TVSP)

Transducer-driven simulations with time-varying sources.

• Monopole source — single point source

• Dipole source — dipole radiation pattern

• Steering linear array — beam steering with delays

• Snell’s law — refraction at material boundaries

• Doppler effect — moving source frequency shift

• 3D simulation — time-varying source in 3D

Sensor Directivity (SD)

How sensor geometry affects measurements.

• Directivity modelling 2D — finite sensor size effects

• Directivity modelling 3D — 3D directivity

• Focused detector 2D — directional sensitivity

• Focused detector 3D — 3D focused sensors

• Directional array elements — multi-element arrays

Photoacoustic Reconstruction (PR)

Image reconstruction from sensor data.

• 2D FFT line sensor — FFT-based reconstruction

• 3D FFT planar sensor — 3D FFT reconstruction

Numerical Analysis (NA)

Computational methods and optimization.

• Controlling the PML — boundary absorption settings

• Source smoothing — spatial filtering of sources

• Filtering part 1 — grid-imposed frequency limits

• Filtering part 2 — filtering source signals

• Filtering part 3 — combined filtering

• Modelling nonlinearity — nonlinear wave propagation

• Optimising performance — speed and memory tips