Eigenmodes of triaxial ellipsoidal acoustical cavities with mixed boundary conditions

The linear acoustics problem of resonant vibrational modes in a triaxial ellipsoidal acoustic cavity with walls of arbitrary acoustic impedance has been quasi-analytically solved using the Frobenius power-series expansion method. Eigenmode results are presented for the lowest two eigenmodes in cases with pressure-release, rigid-wall, and lossy-wall boundary conditions. A mode crossing is obtained as a function of the specific acoustic impedance of the wall; the degeneracy is not symmetry related. Furthermore, the damping of the wave is found to be maximal near the crossing.     

On the effect of viscosity in scattering from partially coated infinite cylinders

This paper considers the two-dimensional problem of scattering of a plane wave incident on an infinite cylinder that is coated with strips of pressure-release material extending over quadrants on the illuminated and shadowed sides, with the remainder of the surface considered to be rigid. Transitions from soft to rigid surfaces correspond to discontinuous boundary conditions. Ideal fluid theory predicts an infinite pressure gradient at these transitions, which suggests that viscous effects may be significant. The present work is a quantitative analysis of the global effect on acoustic scattering of viscosity effects arising in the vicinity of the discontinuity. The analysis represents the scattered field in terms of acoustic and vortical contributions. Both contributions are represented by series expansions in terms of azimuthal harmonics and associated cylindrical wave functions. The amplitudes of these harmonics are determined by satisfying a pair of discontinuous boundary conditions. Results obtained by using the method of weighted residuals are shown to be less accurate than those obtained from a collocation procedure. The results for surface pressure and farfield directivity indicate that viscous effects are important only if the Reynolds number is extremely small.     

A vertical eigenfunction expansion for the propagation of sound in a downward-refracting atmosphere over a complex impedance plane

The propagation of sound in a stratified downward-refracting atmosphere over a complex impedance plane is studied. The problem is solved by separating the wave equation into vertical and horizontal parts. The vertical part has non-self-adjoint boundary conditions, so that the well-known expansion in orthonormal eigenfunctions cannot be used. Instead, a less widely known eigenfunction expansion for non-self-adjoint ordinary differential operators is employed. As in the self-adjoint case, this expansion separates the acoustic field into a ducted part, expressed as a sum over modes which decrease exponentially with height, and an upwardly propagating part, expressed as an integral over modes which are asymptotically (with height) plane waves. The eigenvalues associated with the modes in this eigenfunction expansion are, in general, complex valued. A technique is introduced which expresses the non-self-adjoint problem as a perturbation of a self-adjoint one, allowing one to efficiently find the complex eigenvalues without having to resort to searches in the complex plane. Finally, an application is made to a model for the nighttime boundary layer.     

Boundary conditions in the radiative relaxation problem

The problem of the dissipation of temperature perturbations in a finite homogeneous atmosphere is solved for the situation in which the temperature at one boundary is maintained constant (that is, the temperature perturbation is zero for all times) while energy can be freely radiated to space through the other boundary. Exact solutions are shown for the exponential-sum fit to the kernel of the basic integral equation. These solutions constitute the set of radiative eigenfunctions. Also, approximate solutions in terms of the radiative eigenfunctions in the diffusion approximation (one exponential term in the expansion of the kernel) are obtained. These, in turn, are used in the solution of an initial value problem. The constant temperature boundary condition simulates the interface between two regions in one of which the relaxation processes are much more rapid than the purely radiative relaxation of the other.     

Comparison of electrohydraulic lithotripters with rigid and pressure-release ellipsoidal reflectors. I. Acoustic fields.

The most common lithotripter, a Dornier HM-3, utilizes an underwater spark to generate an acoustic pulse and a rigid ellipsoidal reflector to focus the pulse on the kidney stone to be comminuted. The pulse measured in water with a PVDF membrane hydrophone at the external focus of the ellipsoid was a 1-microsecond positive-pressure spike followed by a 3-microsecond negative-pressure trough. When we replaced the rigid reflector in our experimental lithotripter with a pressure-release reflector, the pulse was a 1.6-microsecond trough followed by a 0.6-microsecond positive spike. The waveforms are nearly time inverses (i.e., their spikes and troughs are reversed). The frequency spectra, the maximum peak positive pressures P+ (42 MPa, rigid and 43 MPa, pressure-release), and the maximum peak negative pressures P- (-12 MPa and -14 MPa) are comparable. The maximum P- occurred 20 mm closer to the reflector than did the maximum P+, for both reflectors. However, the spatial maxima of the peak pressures (P+ and P-) produced by the pressure-release reflector were located 20 mm nearer to the reflector than those produced by the rigid reflector. Qualitative explanation of the waveforms and the location of pressure maxima as well as comparison to previous theoretical and experimental results is given. The alternate waveform produced by the pressure-release reflector may be a tool in determining the role of cavitation in lithotripsy because cavitation is highly sensitive to waveform.     

On the acoustic modes in a duct containing a parabolic shear flow

The exact solution of the acoustic wave equation in an unidirectional shear flow with a parabolic velocity profile is obtained, representing sound propagation in a plane, parallel walled duct, with two boundary layers over rigid or impedance walls. It is shown that there are four cases, depending on the critical level(s) where the Doppler shifted frequency vanishes: (i) for propagation upstream the critical levels are outside the duct (case II); (ii) for propagation downstream there may be two (case IV), one (case I) or no (case III) critical level inside the duct. The acoustic wave equation is transformed in each of the four cases to particular forms of the extended hypergeometric equation, which has power series solutions, some involving logarithmic singularities. In the cases where critical levels occur, at real or ‘imaginary’ distance, matching of two or three pairs of solutions, valid over regions each overlapping the next, is needed. The particular case of the parabolic velocity profile is used to address general properties of sound in unidirectional shear flows. For example, it is shown that for ducted shear flows, there exist a pair of even and odd eigenfunctions, in the absence of critical levels. It is also proved, in more than one instance, that there is no single set of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions valid across one or two shear layers. This leads to the general conjecture, considering the acoustics of shear flows in ducts, that critical levels separate regions with distinct sets of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions.     

On the conservation of momentum for a sound pulse reflecting from a pressure-release boundary

When a "massless" one-dimensional sound pulse (mass of a sound pulse is defined as an integral of the perturbation of density over the pulse length) reflects from a pressure-release boundary, its momentum changes sign. This obviously violates momentum conservation. However, in contrast to the case of an unbounded medium, calculation of the momentum in a bounded region includes a second-order term as well. Apparently, the second-order correction to the linear solution ensures momentum conservation in this case. The purpose of this Letter is to find a concrete form of this second-order correction. It appears that, as a result of the nonlinear interaction of the pulse with a pressure-release boundary, the latter experiences second-order net shift. This leads to the generation of a massive second-order rarefaction pulse whose momentum is directed opposite to the direction of propagation of the pulse itself. Appearance of this pulse ensures total momentum conservation.     

Bound states and band structure—A unified treatment through the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi approach

We analyze the Scarf potential, which exhibits both discrete energy bound states and energy bands, through the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi approach. The singularity structure and the boundary conditions in the above approach, naturally isolate the bound and periodic states, once the problem is mapped to the zero energy sector of another quasi-exactly solvable quantum problem. The energy eigenvalues are obtained without having to solve for the corresponding eigenfunctions explicitly. We also demonstrate how to find the eigenfunctions through this method.     

A Fourier series solution for the transverse vibration response of a beam with a viscous boundary

This paper presents the generalized Fourier series solution for the transverse vibration of a beam subjected to a viscous boundary. The model of the system produces a non-self-adjoint eigenvalue-like problem which does not yield orthogonal eigenfunctions; therefore, such functions cannot be used to calculate the coefficients of expansion in the Fourier series. Furthermore, the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are complex valued. Nevertheless, the eigenfunctions can be utilized if the space of the operator is extended and a suitable inner product is defined. The methodology presented in this paper utilizes Hilbert space methods and is applicable in general to other problems of this type. As an adjunct to the theoretical discussion, the results from numerical simulations are presented.     

Acoustical scattering by arrays of cylinders in waveguides

Multiple scattering of acoustic waves in a planar horizontal waveguide by finite-length cylinders is considered. Cylinder height equals the waveguide depth, and both are vertically constrained by the pressure-release boundaries. An analytically exact solution is obtained via normal mode expansion method in conjunction with the concept of the T matrix. The problem is decomposed into an infinite number of two-dimensional multiple scattering problems, modulated by waveguide mode shapes. Examples are presented for an isovelocity waveguide in which the medium is uniform and the waveguide depth is constant. It is found that, in numerical computations, including one or two evanescent modes captures the essence of the evanescent modes. Multiple scattering in the waveguide is compared with the corresponding two-dimensional case. It is concluded that, in low frequencies, the wave patterns in the two cases are very similar, with a shift in the frequency. The similarity diminishes when there are multiple propagating modes. Despite the mode mixing, some key features in the scattering as observed in the two-dimensional problem remain observable in the waveguide case.     

Boundary layer effects on sound in a circular duct

Boundary layer effects on an acoustic field in a unidirectional flow with transverse shear are studied. The acoustic pressure variation in the direction normal to that of the flow is governed in the boundary layer by a second order differential equation. The problem in the boundary layer is reduced from a two point boundary value problem to a one point boundary value problem by transforming the governing equation into the Riccati equation. The Riccati equation is easily integrated with standard numerical procedures. The integration process yields the effective admittance of the wall-boundary layer combination. The acoustic field in the uniform flow is then determined for this effective admittance. Further complications imposed by the boundary layer are thus eliminated. The simplicity of the technique allows calculation of the propagation and decay constants in a circular duct over a wide range of parameters and duct modes.     

On the nonlinear dynamics of a saline boundary layer formed by throughflow near the surface of a porous medium

We consider gravitational instability of saline boundary layers, observed at the subsurface of salt lakes. This boundary layer is the result of the convective transport induced by the evaporation at the horizontal surface of a confined porous medium. When this upward transport is balanced by salt dispersion, a steady state boundary layer is formed. However, this boundary layer can be unstable when perturbed. This results in complex groundwater motion and density fields. The aim of this paper is to investigate the existence of finite amplitude solutions describing these resulting patterns (both the number of solutions and their structure), their stability, and their dependency on the system Rayleigh and Péclet numbers. For this purpose we construct a low-dimensional dynamical system (a reduced model) by projecting the nonlinear model equations onto a relatively small set of eigenfunctions of the problem linearized at criticality. The Galerkin projection approach is complicated by the fact that the problem under consideration is non-self-adjoint due to the existing evaporation. This implies that the eigenfunctions do not form an orthogonal set and therefore the adjoint eigenfunctions are used for the projection. The reduced model is constructed in such a way that it is capable of providing solutions in the strongly nonlinear regime as well. Convergence of these solutions towards the fully nonlinear model results is shown by means of direct numerical simulations. Further, the reduced model seems to partly capture the complex nonlinear behavior as seen in Hele-Shaw experiments by Wooding et al. [R.A. Wooding, S.W. Tyler, I. White, P.A. Anderson, Convection in groundwater below an evaporating salt lake: 2. evolution of fingers or plumes, Water Resour. Res. 33 (6) (1997) 1219-1228]. The physical transition mechanism that explains the occurrence of some observed bifurcation types is presented as well.     

Propagation of acoustic waves in a medium with the Rayleigh energy release mechanism

This research continues theoretical studies of propagation of acoustic waves in a plasma considering it in the context of a Rayleigh medium. For the first time, the solution to the problem with the boundary and not the initial conditions is examined. It is shown that for small values of the parameter characterizing the energy input in the plasma, the amplification coefficients of a harmonic acoustic wave in the problem of propagation of the initial perturbation and in the problem with the boundary conditions are close. However, if the energy input increases, the amplification of the wave propagating from the source is larger than in the problem of the initial perturbation propagation. The same concerns the amplification of waves with different frequencies for fixed parameters of the plasma; i.e., the difference between the amplification coefficients is larger, the lower the wave frequency. The resultant analytic dependences make it possible to determine exactly which of the problems (with the initial or boundary conditions) should be solved to compute the amplification coefficient of acoustic waves under specific experimental conditions.     

Three-dimensional analysis of scattering by pressure-release plane surfaces and the validity of the image solution

Because of the complexity of the scattering integrals in three dimensions, numerous approximations are used to obtain closed-form solutions. By considering the scattering by an infinite, pressure-release plane surface, the effects of various phase approximations and source directivity approximations can be examined independently of the surface roughness. Calculations are carried out using the Fraunhofer and Fresnel phase approximations, and two directivity approximations. It has been shown experimentally that the image solution is valid for the reflection of an acoustic beam by an infinite, pressure-release plane surface if the plane is in the farfield of the source. Consequently, the image solution is used to compare analytical solutions obtained using various phase and directivity approximations, and it is found that both the Fresnel phase approximation and a realistic directivity approximation are required to achieve a good fit. The solution produced by the Fraunhofer phase approximation is obtained as an asymptotic limit of the modified Fresnel solution. Criteria for the validity of the Fraunhofer and Fresnel phase approximations are developed. The Fresnel phase approximation is valid under fairly broad conditions, but the Fraunhofer phase approximation is never valid for an infinite plane surface that must be in the farfield of the source.     

Eigenfunctions of Laplacian for phase estimation from wavefront gradient or curvature sensing

Modal cross coupling usually exists in wavefront estimation through Zernike polynomials. In order to cope with the problem, the eigenfunctions of Laplacian with Neumann boundary condition are proposed instead of Zernike polynomials to reconstruct phase from wavefront gradient or curvature sensing. It is proved theoretically that these modals can avoid modal cross coupling in both wavefront gradient sensing and curvature sensing. In wavefront gradient sensing, the coefficients of eigenfunctions of Laplacian can be obtained from the integral of the scalar product between the gradient of Laplacian's eigenfunctions and wavefront gradient signal. In wavefront curvature sensing, the coefficients of eigenfunctions of Laplacian can be calculated from the integral of the product of Laplacian's eigenfunctions and wavefront curvature signal. This approach is applicable on arbitrary apertures as long as eigenfunctions of Laplacian on apertures of arbitrary shape can be obtained.     

X波段六腔渡越管振荡器的高频特性研究

 从麦克斯韦方程出发，采用时域有限差分法（FDTD）和离散傅里叶变换（DFFT）相结合的方法，通过数值计算得出了六腔开放式谐振腔中前四个谐振频率和场分布，计算出的谐振频率与实验测量结果基本相同。比较了开放腔和封闭腔谐振频率，验证了TEM波吸收边界条件，并在实际编程计算中得以应用。计算结果为六腔渡越管振荡器的机理研究提供了依据。     

The boundary value problem in fermion systems

The half-space boundary value problem for fermions near zero temperature in plane geometry is solved for diffuse boundary scattering by numerically constructing the spatial propagator in terms of the eigenfunctions of a generalized eigenvalue problem for the linearized Uehling-Uhlenbeck collision integral. The slip length is calculated for several interparticle scattering laws and compared with a relaxation time ansatz result and the experimental values for normal fluid³He. It is shown that the nonsingular part of the collision operator is relatively compact to the singular part.     

The influence of boundary layer on sound propagation in optical fibers

Physical models of two-layered and three-layered fiber were built. These models were used to calculate acoustic properties of optical fibers. Acoustic properties of fibers with boundary layer and without boundary layer calculated from these model were compared. The propagation of acoustic cylindrical symmetric waves in optical fibers was considered. This problem was treated analytically and numerically in continual approximation. The possibility of simultaneous propagation of two cylindrical symmetric waves in optical fibers with a boundary layer was shown (in a three-layered model). The physical phenomenon of the presence of two waves in the fiber with boundary layer is proposed for study of the boundary layer. Formulas for the calculation of the properties of the boundary layer from the acoustic experiment, verified by numerical calculations, are represented.     

空间声场全息重建的波叠加方法研究

提出了基于波叠加法的近场声场全息技术，并将其用于任意形状物体的声辐射分析.在声辐射计算问题中，边界元法是通过离散边界面上的声学和位置变量来实现，而波叠加方法则通过叠加辐射体内部若干个简单源产生的声场来完成.因而，基于波叠加法的声全息就不存在边界面上的参数插值和奇异积分等问题，而这些问题是基于边界元法的声全息所固有的.与基于边界元法的声全息相比较，基于波叠加法的声全息在原理上更易于理解，在计算机上更容易实现.实验结果表明：该种全息技术在重建声场时，具有令人满意的重建精度. 关键词： 声全息 逆问题 波叠加方法 正则化方法     

A new formalism for time-dependent wave scattering from a bounded obstacle

A time-dependent three-dimensional acoustic scattering problem is considered. An incoming wave packet is scattered by a bounded, simply connected obstacle with locally Lipschitz boundary. The obstacle is assumed to have a constant boundary acoustic impedance. The limit cases of acoustically soft and acoustically hard obstacles are considered. The scattered acoustic field is the solution of an exterior problem for the wave equation. A new numerical method to compute the scattered acoustic field is proposed. This numerical method obtains the time-dependent scattered field as a superposition of time-harmonic acoustic waves and computes the time-harmonic acoustic waves by a new "operator expansion method." That is, the time-harmonic acoustic waves are solutions of an exterior boundary value problem for the Helmholtz equation. The method used to compute the time-harmonic waves improves on the method proposed by Misici, Pacelli, and Zirilli [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 106-113 (1998)] and is based on a "perturbative series" of the type of the one proposed in the operator expansion method by Milder [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 89, 529-541 (1991)]. Computationally, the method is highly parallelizable with respect to time and space variables. Some numerical experiments on test problems obtained with a parallel implementation of the numerical method proposed are shown and discussed from the numerical and the physical point of view. The website: http://www.econ.unian.it/recchioni/w1 shows four animations relative to the numerical experiments.