In situ measurements of surface impedance and absorption coefficients of porous materials using two microphones and ambient noise

An in situ measurement method is proposed for obtaining the normal surface impedance and absorption coefficient of porous materials using two microphones located close to the material without a specific sound source such as a loudspeaker. Ambient environmental noise that does not excite distinct modes in the sound field is employed as the sound source. Measurements of the normal surface impedance of glass wool and rockwool have been made using this method in various sound fields. The repeatability and wide applicability of the method are demonstrated by comparing results of measurements in one room with different noise conditions and in three other environments (corridor, cafeteria and terrace). The assumed diffuse nature of the sound field on the material is validated by using absorption characteristics obtained experimentally at oblique incidence. This method allows simple and efficient in situ measurements of absorption characteristics of materials in a diffuse field.     

A model for insertion loss degradation for parallel highway noise barriers

An algorithm is developed and validated for the prediction of the reduction, or degradation, of traffic noise barrier insertion loss when a second barrier is placed on the opposite side of the highway. The algorithm combines the basic emission, propagation, and barrier attenuation features of the Federal Highway Administration traffic noise prediction model with a geometrical acoustics approach for multiple reflections. The resultant model can accommodate any number of source lanes or receivers, three vehicle categories, and independently variable barrier heights and absorption coefficients. The model was validated against mathematical, scale model, and full scale field data received from other researchers, and has proved to be a good predictor of insertion loss degradation.     

Pressure Leq and multiple noise sources: A comparison of exposure-response relationships for railway noise and road traffic noise

Exposure-response relationships vary with different noise sources when conventional L_eq is used as the noise exposure measure. Further, reported annoyance to multiple noise source environments can be higher than predicted by conventional L_eq. Pressure L_eq is proposed as a superior unified noise index and some evidence is presented in support of this proposal.     

Application of MetaRail railway noise measurement methodology: comparison of three track systems

Within the fourth RTD Framework Programme, the European Union has supported a research project dealing with the improvement of railway noise (emission) measurement methodologies. This project was called MetaRail and proposed a number of procedures and methods to decrease systematic measurement errors and to increase reproducibility. In 1999 the Austrian Federal Railways installed 1000 m of test track to explore the long-term behaviour of three different ballast track systems. This test included track stability, rail forces and ballast forces, as well as vibration transmission and noise emission. The noise study was carried out using the experience and methods developed within MetaRail. This includes rail roughness measurements as well as measurements of vertical railhead, sleeper and ballast vibration in parallel with the noise emission measurement with a single microphone at a distance of 7.5 m from the track. Using a test train with block- and disc-braked vehicles helped to control operational conditions and indicated the influence of different wheel roughness.It has been shown that the parallel recording of several vibration signals together with the noise signal makes it possible to evaluate the contributions of car body, sleeper, track and wheel sources to the overall noise emission. It must be stressed that this method is not focused as is a microphone-array. However, this methodology is far easier to apply and thus cheaper. Within this study, noise emission was allocated to the different elements to answer questions such as whether the sleeper eigenfrequency is transmitted into the rail.     

A field study of effects of road traffic and railway noise on polysomnographic sleep parameters

The aim of this study was to explore and compare the effect of noise from railway and road traffic on sleep in subjects habitually exposed to nocturnal noise. Forty young and middle aged healthy subjects were studied with polysomnography (PSG) during two consecutive nights in their own bedroom. Noise measurements and recordings were conducted concurrently outside of the bedroom fac?ade as well as inside the bedroom of each participant. Different noise exposure parameters were calculated (L(p,A,eq,night), L(p,A,Fmax,night), and L(AF5,night)) and analyzed in relation to whole-night sleep parameters. The group exposed to railway noise had significantly less Rapid eye movement, (REM) sleep than the group exposed to road traffic noise. A significant association was found between the maximum level (L(p,A,Fmax,night)) of railway noise and time spent in REM sleep. REM sleep was significantly shorter in the group exposed to at least a single railway noise event above 50 dB inside the bedroom. These results, obtained in an ecological valid setting, support previous laboratory findings that railway noise has a stronger impact than road traffic noise on physiological parameters during sleep, and that the maximum noise level is an important predictor of noise effects on sleep assessed by PSG, at least for railway noise.     

Light absorption coefficients of ionic liquids under electric field

Ionic liquids have attracted a lot of research attention for their applications in novel optoelectronic structures and devices as an optical means of regulating electricity. Although the electro-optic effect of ionic liquids is mentioned in some literature, quantitative testing and analysis are hardly found in light absorption coefficients of ionic liquids under an electric field. In the present study, an experimental apparatus is designed to measure the absorption coefficients of ionic liquids under different electric fields. Five groups of imidazole ionic liquids are experimentally investigated and an inversion is performed to determine the spectral absorption coefficients of the imidazole ionic liquids under the electric fields. Different intensities with multiple interface refractions and reflections are also considered, and the various measurement errors are analyzed through uncertainties propagation analysis. Spectral absorptions of ionic liquids from 300 nm to 2500 nm are obtained and the absorption coefficients are retrieved. It is found that the absorption behavior of ionic liquids changes in some frequency bands under an applied electric field. The experimental results show that the absorption coefficient of the ionic liquid increases with the voltage increasing at 1520 nm and 1920 nm. The change rate is affected by the types of anions and cations in the ionic liquid and the diffusion rate of the ions therein. This study provides illustrations for the ionic liquid-based electro-optical regulation in terms of physical property parameters and the testing technique.     

Multi-wavelength measurements of aerosol optical absorption coefficients using a photoacoustic spectrometer

The atmospheric aerosol absorption capacity is a critical parameter determining its direct and indirect effects on cli- mate. Accurate measurement is highly desired for the study of the radiative budget of the Earth. A multi-wavelength （405 rim, 532 nm, 780 nm） aerosol absorption meter based on photoacoustic spectroscopy （PAS） invovling a single cylin- drical acoustic resonator is developed for measuring the aerosol optical absorption coefficients （OACs）. A sensitivity of 1.3 Mm-l （at 532 nm） is demonstrated. The aerosol absorption meter is successfully tested through measuring the OACs of atmospheric nigrosin and ambient aerosols in the suburbs of Hefei city. The absorption cross section and absorption Angstrom exponent （AAE） for ambient aerosol are determined for characterizing the component of the ambient aerosol.     

Determination of low absorption coefficients from absorptance measurements on thin films

We discuss the determination of the absorption coefficient (α) from absorptance (A) measurements on thin films in the low absorption range, especially in the case of amorphous semiconductor films studied by photothermal spectroscopies. We propose approximate expressions between A and α, determine their range of validity and compare them to expressions used by other authors.     

Spin-polarization in LEED: A comparison of theoretical predictions

Two distinct theories of spin-dependent low energy electron diffraction have been used to calculate scattered intensities and polarizations for the same model of the W(001) surface. The agreement between the results is excellent, demonstrating that calculations using either program should provide a reliable basis for the analysis of experimentally measured intensities and polarizations. The effects of using different surface barriers and of increasing the number of phase shifts and diffracted beams are also examined.     

Comparing the relationships between noise level and annoyance in different surveys: A railway noise vs. aircraft and road traffic comparison

Annoyance expressed in a railway noise survey is compared with that in two road traffic and three aircraft surveys in order to determine whether responses to various environmental noises are similar or are source-specific. Railway noise is less annoying than other noises at any given high noise level. Railway noise annoyance increases less rapidly with increasing noise level. At high noise levels this gap in reactions averages about 10 dB but ranges from 4 dB to more than 20 dB. Comparisons between the findings in the different surveys can be made only after considering differences in noise index calculation procedures, human response measurement procedures and annoyance moderating conditions. The methodology for comparing surveys is examined. It is found that methodological uncertainties lead to imprecise comparisons and that different annoyance scales give different estimates of intersurvey differences.     

A comparison on absorption coefficients for secondary electron emission obtained from two different formulas

In this work, the absorption coefficients for secondary electron emißsion, α and β, that appeared respectively in the two different formulas, \(\delta (E_p ) = k\int_0^\infty {\left( {\frac{{dE}}{{dz}}} \right)E_p \exp ( - \alpha z)dz} \) and \(\delta (E_p ) = k\int_0^\infty {\left( {\frac{{dE}}{{dz}}} \right)E_p \exp ( - \alpha z)dz} \), were derived with a standard deviation rate analysis method based on a Monte Carlo simulated secondary electron yield, δ(E_p). Both the energy dissipation in depth for primary electrons, \(\left( {dE/dz} \right)E_p \), and the depth distribution for the number of secondary electrons including cascade electrons, n(z, E_p), were obtained by the same Monte Carlo method, in which the discrete inelastic scattering model was employed. The calculation results for Cu and Mg show that the n(z, E_p)-curve differs significantly from the \(\left( {dE/dz} \right)E_p \)-curve, and thus as well as a from b, for varied incidence angles (0°–80°) and low-energy primary electrons (up to 3 keV). The absorption coefficient β-values derived from a realistic depth distribution of cascade secondary electrons, n(z, E_p), then describe more accurately the nature of attenuation behavior of secondary electrons than a-values that associated with the approximate formula.     

Velocity dispersion and attenuation in granular marine sediments: comparison of measurements with predictions using acoustic models

The large velocity dispersion recently reported could be explained by a gap stiffness model incorporated into the Biot model (the BIMGS model) proposed by the author. However, at high frequencies, some measured results have been reported for negative velocity dispersion and attenuation proportional to the first to fourth power of frequency. In this study, first, it is shown that the results of velocity dispersion and attenuation calculated using the BIMGS model are consistent with the results measured in two kinds of water-saturated sands with different grain sizes, except in the high-frequency range. Then, the velocity dispersion and attenuation in six kinds of water-saturated glass beads and four kinds of water-saturated silica sands with different grain sizes are measured in the frequency ranges of 80-140 and 300-700 kHz. The measured results are compared with those calculated using the BIMGS model plus some acoustic models. It is shown that the velocity dispersion and attenuation are well predicted by using the BIMGS model in the range of kd ≤ 0.5 (k: wavenumber in water, d: grain diameter) and by using the BIMGS model plus multiple scattering effects in the range of kd ≥ 0.5 in which negative velocity dispersion appears.     

A boundary element method for the calculation of noise barrier insertion loss in the presence of atmospheric turbulence

Atmospheric turbulence is an important factor that limits the amount of attenuation a barrier can provide in the outdoor environment. It is therefore important to develop a reliable method to predict its effect on barrier performance. The boundary element method (BEM) has been shown to be a very effective technique for predicting barrier insertion loss in the absence of turbulence. This paper develops a simple and efficient modification of the BEM formulation to predict the insertion loss of a barrier in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. The modification is based on two alternative methods: (1) random realisations of log-amplitude and phase fluctuations of boundary sources and (2) de-correlation of source coherence using the mutual coherence function (MCF). An investigation into the behaviours of these two methods is carried out and simplified forms of the methods developed. Some systematic differences between the predictions from the methods are found. When incorporated into the BEM formulation, the method of random realisations and the method of MCF de-correlation provide predictions that agree well with predictions by the parabolic equation method and by the scattering cross-section method on a variety of thin barrier configurations.     

A comparison between GEOS 1 magnetic-field measurements and some models of the geomagnetic field

Summary A comparison between the quiet-time magnetic-field measurements performed on the GEOS 1 spacecraft in the period May 13, 1977–December 13, 1977 and the predictions of four geomagnetic-field models is presented. For the explored magnetospheric region the best approximation to the GEOS 1 measurements is given by the 1976 Olson and Pfitzer model: the difference between its predictions and the experimental data never exceeds 3 per cent in the absolute value of the field and 3 degrees in the field direction.

---

Riassunto Si presentano i risultati di un confronto fra le misure di campo magnetico eseguite dal satellite GEOS 1 nel periodo 13 Maggio 1977–13 Dicembre 1977 e i corrispondenti valori previsti da quattro diversi modelli di campo geomagnetico. Il confronto è limitato a periodi di quiete geomagnetica. Per le regioni magnetosferiche esplorate, la migliore approssimazione alle misure di GEOS 1 è data dal modello Olson e Pfitzer 1976: la differenza fra i valori sperimentali e previsti è inferiore al 3% nel valore assoluto del campo e a 3° nella sua direzione.

---

Резюме Проводится сравнение измерений магнитного поля, проведенных на спутнике GEOS-I в период с 13 мая 1977 г. по 13 декабря 1977 г., с соответствуюъими предсказаниями четырех моделей геомагнитного поля. Для исследованной области магнитосферы наилучшая аппроксимация измерений, проведенных на GEOS-I, получается с помошью модели Олсона и Пфитцера. Различия между предсказаниями модели и экспериментальными данными никогда не превышают 3% для абсолютной величины поля и 3 градусов для направления поля.

     

Kerr effect: Application to phase and electric field induced absorption measurements in glasses

New procedures with a versatile and sensitive method for measuring the amplitude of the d.c. Kerr constant enable to obtain the phase of this constant as well as an electric field-induced transmittance change of the probe light. Temperature dependences of this effect in an optical glass FeD 1821 between 300–450 K and in bulk amorphous (vinyl acetate) between 20–120°C are carried out to illustrate the method.     

点噪声源在近程声场中传播损失的仿真研究

在分层介质条件下，用本征声线法仿真计算了点声源这距离噪声场的传播损失曲线，仿真结果表明，其传播损失不仅依赖于声速分布，海区深度，海底反射特性等环境条件，也依赖于声源及接收水听器的深度，声传播损失显著不同于球面波衰减规律，其传播损失率差别可达８ｄＢ，这表明在测量舰船目标的辐射噪声声源级时必要的声场校正测量是必须的。     

Simulation-based comparison of noise effects in wavelength modulation spectroscopy and direct absorption TDLAS

A simulative investigation of noise effects in wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) and direct absorption diode laser absorption spectroscopy is presented. Special attention is paid to the impact of quantization noise of the analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) of the photodetector signal in the two detection schemes with the goal of estimating the necessary ADC resolution for each technique. With laser relative intensity noise (RIN), photodetector shot noise and thermal amplifier noise included, the strategies used for noise reduction in direct and wavelength modulation spectroscopy are compared by simulating two respective systems. Results show that because of the combined effects of dithering by RIN and signal averaging, the resolutions required for the direct absorption setup are only slightly higher than for the WMS setup. Only for small contributions of RIN an increase in resolution will significantly improve signal quality in the direct scheme.