Travel-time tomography in shallow water: experimental demonstration at an ultrasonic scale

Acoustic tomography in a shallow ultrasonic waveguide is demonstrated at the laboratory scale between two source-receiver arrays. At a 1/1,000 scale, the waveguide represents a 1.1-km-long, 52-m-deep ocean acoustic channel in the kilohertz frequency range. Two coplanar arrays record the transfer matrix in the time domain of the waveguide between each pair of source-receiver transducers. A time-domain, double-beamforming algorithm is simultaneously performed on the source and receiver arrays that projects the multi-reflected acoustic echoes into an equivalent set of eigenrays, which are characterized by their travel times and their launch and arrival angles. Travel-time differences are measured for each eigenray every 0.1 s when a thermal plume is generated at a given location in the waveguide. Travel-time tomography inversion is then performed using two forward models based either on ray theory or on the diffraction-based sensitivity kernel. The spatially resolved range and depth inversion data confirm the feasibility of acoustic tomography in shallow water. Comparisons are made between inversion results at 1 and 3 MHz with the inversion procedure using ray theory or the finite-frequency approach. The influence of surface fluctuations at the air-water interface is shown and discussed in the framework of shallow-water ocean tomography.     

Anderson transition criterion as found from intervalley acoustoelectron relaxation in heavily doped n-Si

Acoustic measurements are shown to be useful for the study of metal-dielectric transition in semiconductors. Squared core wave function of electron on donor centers in Si calculated from acoustic data is found to decrease at high donor densities. Critical impurity concentration is close to that obtained in other ways.     

Theory of measurement of entangled states

Problem on reconstruction of state of finite-dimension quantum information transfer channel, pure or mixed, by results of measurements of needed number of observables, is considered. It is shown that in general case it is needed to measure incompatible observables in number exceeding by one dimension of space of vectors of state. Each of incompatible observables is measured in its statistically valuable series of measurements. In special case, when one of observables is a non-demolition observable, measurement of the other observables is needed for realization of control of property of non-demolition. In case of paired channel it is shown that results of measurements of observables that do not demolish states of sub-channels are characterized by mutual distribution of probabilities while results of measurement of over-classical observables are characterized by mutual correlation only. This correlation vanishes completely in case of pure unentangled states.     

Round and plane jets in a transverse acoustic field

Results of experimental studies on round and plane, macro- and microjets subjected to transverse acoustic field at low Reynolds numbers are presented. A new phenomenon associated with transformation of the round microjet to the plane one under acoustic forcing is revealed. Also, bifurcation of the round microjet is observed. It is shown that both plane macro- and microjets are prone to a sinusoidal instability. As is found, the plane microjet becomes twisted at its periphery in the direction of the oscillatory flow velocity induced by acoustic waves. Acoustic influence both upon the pseudo-plane and the planemicrojets results in their sinusoidal oscillations and bifurcation. New phenomena observed in the present experiments on the round and plane microjets are caused by a proportionality of the acoustic energy with that of the microjets.     

Optimisation using measured Green's function for improving spatial coherence in acoustic measurements

Aberrating materials can degrade acoustic measurements by distorting the acoustic wavefront and causing acoustic speckle (as opposed to speckle noise which is a manifestation of coherent backscatter). The amplitude and phase fluctuations associated with acoustic speckle can introduce considerable measurement uncertainty which is difficult to deal with. This paper demonstrates a new technique which optimises the spatial distribution of the generation of the ultrasound to compensate for the aberration. This technique uses experimentally measured Green's functions to allow the calculation of the field resulting from the generation wavefront during optimisation. The technique is used to improve the accuracy of velocity measurements in a steel sample using 82 MHz SAW waves. This is achieved by optimising for improved spatial coherence in the measurement region which suppresses the speckle noise. Experimental evidence of acoustic aberration arising from grain structure is shown for steel and aluminium and the measured Green's function optimisation technique is shown to overcome the resulting acoustic speckle. The technique was performed using the Adaptive Optical Scanning Acoustic Microscope (AOSAM) at Nottingham University, UK.     

界面条件下线型超声相控阵声场特性研究

开展了界面条件下线型超声相控阵声场特性的研究.将带有楔块的超声相控阵问题合理简化为液固界面的情况进行讨论.根据射线声学理论,计算了单阵元在液固界面存在时的辐射声场,进而推导了聚焦法则,得到了超声线型阵在液固界面存在时的声场、位移场表达式.对安装在楔块上的相控阵换能器的辐射声场进行了仿真,并讨论了聚焦对换能器轴向和横向声场的影响,结果表明利用聚焦能提高分辨率和灵敏度,但聚焦区域之外声束性能更差,在实际检测中要合理利用聚焦. 关键词： 超声相控阵 界面 声场 聚焦     

Single point imaging with suppressed sound pressure levels through gradient-shape adjustment

Acoustic noise produced during single point imaging (SPI) experiments was modulated by changes in the spatial encoding gradients. Parameters of both linear and sine-shaped gradient ramps were modified to minimize the acoustic noise levels. Acoustic noise measurements during SPI were measured on three different gradient systems and revealed that for small gradient-bore systems a considerable acoustic noise reduction of more than 20 dB can easily be achieved. SPI in conjunction with an optimized gradient waveform can be a superb alternative to the previously introduced single point ramped imaging with T(1) enhancement (SPRITE) method when sound levels and overheating of gradients are a concern.     

Acoustic waves in thin-walled elastic tube with polymeric solution

Acoustic waves in a pipe with polymeric liquid are investigated within a quasi-one-dimensional approach. Analysis of the dispersion equation has shown that rheological features lead to essential changes in both attenuation and speed of the sound. The results may find application in acoustic rheometry of polymeric liquids and for modeling of fast dynamic processes in polymer production technology.     

A statistical geoacoustic inversion scheme based on a modified radial basis functions neural network

This paper addresses the task of recovering the geoacoustic parameters of a shallow-water environment using measurements of the acoustic field due to a known source and a neural network based inversion process. First, a novel efficient "observable" of the acoustic signal is proposed, which represents the signal in accordance with the recoverable parameters. Motivated by recent studies in non-Gaussian statistical theory, the observable is defined as a set of estimated model parameters of the alpha-stable distributions, which fit the marginal statistics of the wavelet subband coefficients, obtained after the transformation of the original signal via a one-dimensional wavelet decomposition. Following the modeling process to extract the observables as features, a radial basis functions neural network is employed to approximate the vector function that takes as input the observables and gives as output the corresponding set of environmental parameters. The performance of the proposed approach in recovering the sound speed and density in the substrate of a typical shallow-water environment is evaluated using a database of synthetic acoustic signals, generated by means of a normal-mode acoustic propagation algorithm.     

Piecewise coherent mode processing of acoustic data recorded on two horizontally separated vertical line arrays

Motivated by measurements made in the 2004 Long-Range Ocean Acoustic Propagation Experiment (LOAPEX), the problem of mode processing transient acoustic signals collected on two nearby vertical line arrays is considered. The first three moments (centroid, variance, and skewness) of broadband distributions of acoustic energy with fixed mode number (referred to as modal group arrivals) are estimated. It is shown that despite the absence of signal coherence between the two arrays and poor high mode number energy resolution, the centroid and variance of these distributions can be estimated with tolerable errors using piecewise coherent mode processing as described in this paper.     

利用浅海声场干涉条纹反演海底参数方法研究

浅海频散特性导致声场在距离-频率平面形成干涉条纹,该干涉条纹蕴含着声源以及海底信息。本文通过降噪、滤波等方法,提取船舶辐射噪声干涉条纹中距离域干涉准周期、波导不变量以及去扩展衰减系数(不考虑扩展损失后接收到噪声级随距离的衰减程度)三种特征量的观测值,基于无限均匀沉积层海底模型,采用简正波计算程序理论计算上述三种特征量作为拷贝,提出一种以模拟退火法作为搜索寻优策略的新的匹配反演海底参数的方法。海试数据处理结果表明,该方法反演估计所得海底密度、声速、衰减系数三参数用于浅海负跃层条件下的声场预报效果比较良好。     

Acoustic emission due to nucleation of a microcrack in the proximity of a macrocrack

Acoustic emission generated by the nucleation of a microcrack in the proximity of a macrocrack is discussed in this paper. On the basis of some simple approximations the acoustic emission from a crack-opening event is directly related to its crack-opening volume as a function of time. It is shown that the nucleation of a microcrack in the immediate vicinity of a macrocrack generates additional crack-opening volumes for both the macrocrack and the microcrack, whose signals tend to be much larger than those that would emanate from a nucleating solitary microcrack.     

Modal analysis and intensity of acoustic radiation of the kettledrum

The acoustical features of kettledrums have been analyzed by means of modal analysis and acoustic radiation (p/v ratio) measurements. Modal analysis of two different kettledrums was undertaken, exciting the system both by a hammer and a shaker. Up to 15 vibrational modes were clearly identified. Acoustic radiation was studied using two ways. Based on previous experiments of other researchers, a new parameter, called intensity of acoustic radiation (IAR), has been defined and measured. Results show a strict relationship between IAR and the frequency response function (FRF, which is the v/F ratio), and IAR also strongly relates the modal pattern to acoustic radiation. Finally, IAR is proposed for vibro-acoustical characterization of kettledrums and other musical instruments such as strings, pianos, and harpsichords.     

More power to X‐rays: New developments in X‐ray spectroscopy

Recent developments in X‐ray spectroscopy in the last decade are reviewed. A specific emphasis is placed on displaying the strong natural connection between X‐ray spectroscopy and materials science. Brief explanations of several X‐ray spectroscopic methods are given. X‐ray spectroscopic instruments such as table‐top X‐ray sources are discussed in detail, whereas those employing synchrotron and other sources are briefly addressed. The spectroscopic methods and results from materials investigations are reviewed according to their positions in a 3D parameter space of time, length, and energy. New experimental measurements on atoms, molecules, nanomaterials, and bulk materials that include insulators, semiconductors, metals and magnetic materials using both static and time‐resolved methods are reviewed.     

A theoretical study of the feasibility of acoustical tweezers: ray acoustics approach

The optical tweezer has been found to have many biomedical applications in trapping macromolecules and cells. For the trapping mechanism, there has to be a sharp spatial change in axial optical intensity and the particle size must be much greater than the wavelength. Similar phenomenon may exist in acoustics. This work was undertaken to demonstrate theoretically that it is possible to acoustically trap particles near the focal point where most of the acoustic energy is concentrated if certain conditions are met. Acoustic force exerted on a fluid particle in ultrasonic fields is analyzed in a ray acoustics regime where the wavelength of acoustic beam is much smaller than the size of the particle. In order to apply the acoustical tweezer to manipulating macromolecules and cells whose size is in the order of a few microns or less, a prerequisite is that the ultrasound wavelength has to be much smaller than a few microns. In this paper, the analysis is therefore based on the field pattern produced by a strongly focused 100 MHz ultrasonic transducer with Gaussian intensity distribution. For the realization of acoustic trapping, negative axial radiation force has to be generated to pull a particle towards a focus. The fat particle considered for acoustic trapping in this paper has an acoustic impedance of 1.4 MRayls. The magnitude of the acoustic axial radiation force that has been calculated as the size of the fat particle is varied from 8lambda to 14lambda. In addition, both Fresnel coefficients at various positions are also calculated to assess the interaction of reflection and refraction and their relative contribution to the effect of the acoustical tweezer. The simulation results show that the feasibility of the acoustical tweezer depends on both the degree of acoustic impedance mismatch and the degree of focusing relative to the particle size.     

Acoustic analysis of the composition of human blood serum

New acoustic methods of determining total protein, protein fractions, and lipid components of the human blood serum are presented. Acoustic methods are based on high-precision measurements of velocity and temperature dependences and frequency and temperature dependences of ultrasound absorption. Acoustic characteristics of the blood serum were measured using the method of a fixed length interferometer in acoustic cells ～80 mcl in volume in the temperature range from 15 to 40°C and the 4–9 MHz frequency range with the acoustic analyzer developed by BIOM company. An error in measuring ultrasound velocity in the blood serum was 3 × 10^?5; that of absorption, 2 × 10^?2. The developed acoustic methods were clinically tested and recommended for application at clinical diagnostic laboratories with RF treatment-and-prophylactics establishments.     

Resonant frequency shifts induced by a large spherical object in an air-filled acoustic cavity

Acoustic resonances are modified when objects are introduced into a chamber. The magnitude of these changes depends on the object position, size, and shape, as well as on its acoustic properties. Here, an experimental study concerning the resonant frequency shifts induced by a solid spherical object in a quasi-one-dimensional air-filled acoustic cavity is reported. It is shown that Leung's theory does not account quantitatively for the observations. A novel and simple approach is proposed, based on the wave equation in a cavity of variable cross section. The results fit more accurately the measured frequency shifts.     

Temporal and spatial apodization in defocused acoustic transmission microscopy

Two non-confocally adjusted spherical transducers are employed to implement an acoustic microscope operating in transmission with an approximately line-shaped point spread function (PSF). Such a PSF is of advantage in acoustic transmission line tomography and spatially resolved velocity measurements in solids. The foci of the transducers are viewed as diffraction-limited point transducers and appropriate time-selective signal acquisition is designed to restrict the ultrasound wave paths to the line connecting them. It is found that for typical commercially available transducers the largest contribution to the detected signal is not due to the direct ultrasound wave but due to the edge waves emanating from the rim of the focusing transducer. This poses constraints on achieving a line-shaped PSF in defocused acoustic transmission microscopy. It is shown that, due to the strong contribution from edge waves, it is impossible to achieve a line-shaped PSF in the case of application of a long exciting toneburst. The influence of the exciting pulse length, as well as the position of the time gate on the obtainable PSF is investigated.     

Acoustic properties of globular photonic crystals based on synthetic opals

Acoustic properties of globular photonic crystals based on synthetic opals and composed of closely packed SiO₂ globules about 200 nm in diameter are theoretically investigated. Dispersion characteristics of the investigated samples are numerically simulated, and the group velocity of acoustic waves and the effective mass of acoustic phonons are found. It is shown that phononic bandgaps in these photonic crystals are within the gigahertz frequency range. The effective mass of the acoustic phonons corresponding to the edges of the bandgaps is found, and a possibility that bound states of acoustic phonon pairs, biphonons, manifest themselves in the light scattering spectra is discussed.     

Effect test spaces

An effect test space, or E-test space, for short, is a generalization of a test space that is able to describe unsharp measurements. Effects in an E-test space correspond to yes-no measurements, and observables correspond to general measurements that may have more than two values. Sharpness, compatibility, and orthogonality of effects are considered. It is shown that every observable is determined by its eigenvalues and eigeneffects. The spectrum of an observable is studied and special types of observables are investigated. Orthocomplements and a natural local sum on an E-test space are introduced. Relationships between the resulting structures and previously studied frameworks are presented.