Time reversal of speckle noise

Focusing a wave in an unknown inhomogeneous medium is an open problem in wave physics. This work presents an iterative method able to focus in pulse-echo mode in an inhomogeneous medium containing a random distribution of scatterers. By performing a coherent summation of the random echoes backscattered from a set of points surrounding the desired focus, a virtual bright pointlike reflector is generated. A time-reversal method enables an iterative convergence towards the optimal wave field focusing at the location of this virtual scatterer. Thanks to this iterative time-reversal process, it is possible to focus at any arbitrary point in the heterogeneous medium even in the absence of pointlike source. An experimental demonstration is given for the correction of strongly distorted images in the field of medical ultrasound imaging. This concept enables envisioning many other applications in wave physics.     

Enhanced and specular backscattering in random media

We study scalar waves probing a heterogeneous medium whose parameters are modeled in terms of a statistically isotropic random field. The medium is terminated by an oblique interface at one end (the bottom) and pressure release type boundary conditions at the other end (the top). The tilt of the bottom interface is relatively small so that the dominant contributions to the wave field are confined to a paraxial tube. This study generalizes the basic formulation in terms of Itô–Schrödinger equations in a one-dimensional deterministic background, describing the macrostructure, to one in which the background is more complicated. It provides the first step toward the analysis of scattered waves in general background media modulated by a random microstructure. We discuss in detail the enhanced backscattering phenomenon or weak localization in this setting, with a tilted interface imbedded in the random medium, and find that the backscattering cone does not depend on the tilt. We also find that the enhanced backscattering phenomenon is not affected by the replacement of a specular interface with a diffusive interface.     

Statistical characteristics of an intense wave behind a two-dimensional phase screen

An analysis of the parameters of nonlinear waves transmitted through a layer of a randomly inhomogeneous medium is carried out. The layer is modeled by a two-dimensional phase screen. Passing through the screen plane, the wave acquires a random phase shift. The wave front becomes distorted, and randomly located regions of ray convergence and divergence are formed, in which the nonlinear evolution of the wave alters profoundly. The problem is solved in the approximation of geometrical acoustics. The ray pattern of a plane wave transmitted through the regular screen is constructed. The solution that describes the spatial structure of the field and the evolution of an arbitrary temporal wave profile behind the screen is obtained. Statistical characteristics of the discontinuity amplitude are calculated for different distances from the screen. A random modulation is shown to result in a faster (in comparison with the case of a homogeneous medium) nonlinear attenuation of the wave and in the smoothing of the shock profile. The distribution function of the wave field parameters becomes broader because of random focusing effects.     

Acoustic waves in random fields

The effect of space- and time-dependent random mass density, velocity, and pressure fields on frequencies and amplitudes of acoustic waves is considered by means of the analytical perturbative method. The analytical results, which are valid for weak fluctuations and long wavelength sound waves, reveal frequency and amplitude alteration, the effect of which depends on the type of random field. In particular, the effect of a random mass density field is to increase wave frequencies. Space-dependent random velocity and pressure fields reduce wave frequencies. While space-dependent random fields attenuate wave amplitudes, their time-dependent counterparts lead to wave amplification. In another example, sound waves that are trapped in the vertical direction but are free to propagate horizontally are affected by a space-dependent random mass density field. This effect depends on the direction along which the field is varying. A random field, which varies along the horizontal direction, does not couple vertically standing modes but increases their frequencies and attenuates amplitudes. These modes are coupled by a random field which depends on the vertical coordinate, but the dispersion relation remains the same as in the case of the deterministic medium.     

双相各向异性随机介质伪谱法地震波场特征分析

各向异性、双相孔隙以及非均匀性是描述油气储层时应综合考虑的. 结合随机介质理论和双相介质模型建立了双相各向异性随机介质模型,采用伪谱法模拟了双相各向异性随机介质地震波场,结果表明：双相各向异性随机介质地震波场存在散射波、旅行时扰动等复杂的波场特征,这些特征强烈依赖于随机介质模型参数. 在大非均匀空间尺度下,非均匀幅度主要影响波的旅行时扰动;在小非均匀空间尺度下,非均匀幅度主要影响波的散射. 该研究使人们有可能在统计意义下反演油气储层的非均匀特征,有益于加深对地震波在油气储层中传播规律的认识. 关键词： 双相各向异性 随机介质 伪谱法 地震波     

Numerical simulations of random sound waves

We perform one-dimensional numerical simulations of both driven and impulsively generated sound waves propagating through a medium whose mass density admits time-independent, random fluctuations. While the amplitude of both types of wave is always attenuated, driven sound waves can be either retarded or speeded up depending on their wavenumber and amplitude and on the strength of the random field. The speed of a pulse propagating in the random medium is also altered, in agreement with the findings for the driven waves. The concomitant action of nonlinearity and randomness results in wave speeding for wavenumbers which are of the order of the size of an average random density fluctuation, whereas it gives retardation for larger wavenumbers.     

Bayesian approach to non-Gaussian field statistics for diffusive broadband terahertz pulses

We develop a closed-form expression for the probability distribution function for the field components of a diffusive broadband wave propagating through a random medium. We consider each spectral component to provide an individual observation of a random variable, the configurationally averaged spectral intensity. Since the intensity determines the variance of the field distribution at each frequency, this random variable serves as the Bayesian prior that determines the form of the non-Gaussian field statistics. This model agrees well with experimental results.     

Reference-wave solutions for the high-frequency fields in inhomogeneous-background random media

Ray theory plays an important role in determining the propagation properties of high-frequency fields and their statistical measures in complicated random environments. For computations of the statistical measures it is therefore desirable to have a solution for the high-frequency field propagating along an isolated ray trajectory. A new reference wave is applied to obtain an analytic solution of the parabolic wave equation that describes propagation along the ray trajectory of the deterministic-background medium. The methodology is based on defining a paired-field measure as a product of an unknown field propagating in a disturbed medium and the complex-conjugate component propagating in a medium without random fluctuations. When a solution of the equation for the paired-field measure is obtained, the solution of the deterministic component can be extracted from the paired solution to determine the solution of the unknown field in an explicit form.     

小孔衍射和近场散射数值计算的格林函数方法

从简谐光波满足的亥姆霍兹方程出发,将由格林定理得到的介质分界面上的积分方程转化为以表面上的光波及其导数为未知量的线性方程组,并对其进行数值求解,实现了光场的数值计算。然后将这一方法应用于亚波长尺度的小孔衍射的光波以及自仿射分形表面产生的随机光场及其在近场区域范围内的传播的计算。在随机表面产生的光场计算中．提出了类比推导夫琅禾费面上散斑场自相关函数的方法产生随机表面,以及计算其导数的傅里叶变换方法。对光场的计算结果表明,在近场范围内,光场随离开表面的距离的增加而迅速变化,其传播特性完全不同于光场在远场范围内的传播特性。     

One-dimensional numerical simulations of random sound impulses

Abstract

We perform one-dimensional numerical simulations of small-amplitude acoustic pulses in space- and time-dependent random mass density and time-dependent velocity fields. Numerical results reveal that: (a) random fields affect the speeds, amplitudes and, consequently, shapes of sound pulses; (b) for weak random fields and short propagation times the numerical data converge with the analytical results of the mean field theory which says that a space-dependent (time-dependent) random field leads to wave attenuation (amplification) and all random fields speed up sound pulses; (c) for sufficiently strong random fields and long propagation times numerical simulations reveal pulse splitting into smaller components, parts of which propagate much slower than a wave pulse in a non-random medium. These slow waves build an initial stage of a wave localization phenomenon. However, this effect can be very weak in a real three-dimensional medium.     

Statistical modelling of the backscattered field in a one-dimensional non-stationary stochastic problem

Within the framework of an exact wave approach in the spatial-time domain, the one-dimensional stochastic problem of sound pulse scattering by a layered random medium is considered. On the basis of a unification of methods which has been developed by the authors, previously applied to the investigation of non-stationary deterministic wave problems and stochastic stationary wave problems, an analytical-numerical simulation of the behaviour of the backscattered field stochastic characteristics was carried out. Several forms of incident pulses and signals are analysed. We assume that random fluctuations of a medium are described by virtue of the Gaussian Markov process with an exponential correlation function. The most important parameters appearing in the problem are discussed; namely, the time scales of diffusion, pulse durations, the medium layer thickness or the largest observation time scale in comparison with the time scale of one correlation length for the case of a half-space. An exact pattern of the pulse backscattering processes is obtained. It is illustrated by the behaviour of the backscattered field statistical moments for all observation times which are of interest. It is shown that during the time interval when the main part of the pulse energy leaves the medium, the backscattered field is a substantially non-stationary process, having a non-zero mean value and an average intensity that decays according to a power law. There are various power indices for the different duration incident pulses, however, they are not the same as those of previous papers, which were obtained on the basis of an approximate and asymptotic analysis. We have also verified that the Gaussian law is valid for the probability density function of the backscattered field in the case of any incident pulse duration.     

Spectra of discontinuous noise waves

The article considers the problem of the transformation of the energy spectrum of an intense random wave in a nonlinear, nondisperse medium. It is assumed that at the inlet to the nonlinear medium there is given a random quasimonochromatic wave, and an investigation is made of the spectrum of a nonlinear wave at distances where the original continuous wave goes over into a sequence of sawtooth pulses with a random position of the discontinuity and with random amplitudes. In the work, an investigation was made of the dependence of the spectral characteristics of discontinuous noise waves on the statistics of the amplitude and phase of the input quasimonochromatic wave. The form of the spectrum of the wave is found at low frequencies, which appear due to the effect of the autodetection of the quasimonochromatic wave in a nonlinear medium. The effect of the viscosity of the medium on the form of the energy spectrum is also discussed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 21, No. 11, pp. 1627–1636, November, 1978.The authors are indebted to A. N. Malakhov and A. I. Saichev for their valuable evaluations.     

Random sound waves in a weakly stratified atmosphere

The influence of random mass density and velocity fields on the frequencies and amplitudes of the sound waves that propagate along a constant gravity field is examined in the limit of weak random fields, small amplitude oscillations and a weakly stratified medium. Using a perturbative method, we derive dispersion relations from which we conclude that the effect of a space-dependent random mass density field is to attenuate sound waves. Frequencies of these waves are higher than in the case of a coherent medium. A time-dependent random mass density field increases frequencies and amplifies the sounds waves. On the other hand, a space-dependent random flow reduces the wave frequencies and attenuates the sound waves. The time-dependent random flow raises the frequencies of the sound waves and amplifies their amplitudes. In the limit of the gravity-free medium the above results are in an agreement with the former findings.     

Statistical modelling of the backscattered field in a one-dimensional non-stationary stochastic problem

Abstract

Within the framework of an exact wave approach in the spatial-time domain, the one-dimensional stochastic problem of sound pulse scattering by a layered random medium is considered. On the basis of a unification of methods which has been developed by the authors, previously applied to the investigation of non-stationary deterministic wave problems and stochastic stationary wave problems, an analytical-numerical simulation of the behaviour of the backscattered field stochastic characteristics was carried out. Several forms of incident pulses and signals are analysed. We assume that random fluctuations of a medium are described by virtue of the Gaussian Markov process with an exponential correlation function. The most important parameters appearing in the problem are discussed; namely, the time scales of diffusion, pulse durations, the medium layer thickness or the largest observation time scale in comparison with the time scale of one correlation length for the case of a half-space. An exact pattern of the pulse backscattering processes is obtained. It is illustrated by the behaviour of the backscattered field statistical moments for all observation times which are of interest. It is shown that during the time interval when the main part of the pulse energy leaves the medium, the backscattered field is a substantially non-stationary process, having a non-zero mean value and an average intensity that decays according to a power law. There are various power indices for the different duration incident pulses, however, they are not the same as those of previous papers, which were obtained on the basis of an approximate and asymptotic analysis. We have also verified that the Gaussian law is valid for the probability density function of the backscattered field in the case of any incident pulse duration.     

Sound propagation and scattering in media with random inhomogeneities of sound speed, density and medium velocity

This review presents both classical and new results of the theory of sound propagation in media with random inhomogeneities of sound speed, density and medium velocity (mainly in the atmosphere and ocean). An equation for a sound wave in a moving inhomogeneous medium is presented, which has a wider range of applicability than those used before. Starting from this equation, the statistical characteristics of the sound field in a moving random medium are calculated using Born-approximation, ray, Rytov and parabolic-equation methods, and the theory of multiple scattering. The results obtained show, in particular, that certain equations previously widely used in the theory of sound propagation in moving random media must now be revised. The theory presented can be used not only to calculate the statistical characteristics of sound waves in the turbulent atmosphere or ocean but also to solve inverse problems and develop new remote-sensing methods. A number of practical problems of sound propagation in moving random media are listed and the further development of this field of acoustics is considered.     

Scattering of scalar light wave from a Gaussianben Schell model medium

The scattering of scalar light wave from a random medium with a correlation function of Gaussian–Schell model distribution is studied. It is shown that the properties of the scattered field, i.e., the spectral density and the spectral degree of coherence of the scattered field, are closely related to the properties of the scattering medium, including the scaled effective radius and the scaled correlation length of the correlation function.     

On closure schemes for polynomial chaos expansions of stochastic differential equations

The propagation of waves in a medium having random inhomogeneities is studied using polynomial chaos (PC) expansions, wherein environmental variability is described by a spectral representation of a stochastic process and the wave field is represented by an expansion in orthogonal random polynomials of the spectral components. A different derivation of this expansion is given using functional methods, resulting in a smaller set of equations determining the expansion coefficients, also derived by others. The connection with the PC expansion is new and provides insight into different approximation schemes for the expansion, which is in the correlation function, rather than the random variables. This separates the approximation to the wave function and the closure of the coupled equations (for approximating the chaos coefficients), allowing for approximation schemes other than the usual PC truncation, e.g. by an extended Markov approximation. For small correlation lengths of the medium, low-order PC approximations provide accurate coefficients of any order. This is different from the usual PC approximation, where, for example, the mean field might be well approximated while the wave function (which includes other coefficients) would not be. These ideas are illustrated in a geometrical optics problem for a medium with a simple correlation function.