The propagation of a nonlinear sound wave in an unconsolidated granular medium

The propagation of a high-intensity sound wave in an unconsolidated medium is considered. Dissipation effects are taken into account on the basis of Buckingham’s theory of a relaxation mechanism of sound attenuation in a saturated sediment. The nonlinear evolution equation for the relaxing medium is obtained, and the solutions of this equation are analyzed. The second-harmonic generation in such a medium decays, as does the linear sound wave of the same frequency. The stationary weak shock profile has a specific form due to relaxation effects.     

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

Abstract

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.     

Stationary soliton waves in a liquid with heat-conducting gas bubbles

Formation of an undamped soliton wave in the process of propagation of sound perturbations in a liquid with uniformly distributed gas bubbles is first revealed. The stationary soliton wave exists only in the presence of two pairs of competing factors, one of which is a balance between the nonlinearity of the medium and the linear wave dispersion, and another is a balance between the heat inflow into and outflow from the gas phase. The thermodynamic convertibility of dissipation of gas bubbles in the process of soliton wave propagation is revealed. The Korteweg-de Vries equation is derived for adiabatic bubbles. It differs radically from the Korteweg-de Vries equation obtained by Van Wijngaarden. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 84–88, June, 2006.     

海洋声学中三维抛物方程非均匀网格模型

在海洋声学中,三维抛物方程模型可以有效考虑三维空间的声传播效应。然而,采用三维抛物方程模型分析三维空间内的声传播问题时,计算时间较长,并且需要消耗较大的计算机内存,因此给远距离声场的快速精确计算带来了很大困难。为此,将非均匀网格Galerkin离散化方法用于三维直角坐标系下的水声抛物方程模型中,深度算子和水平算子Galerkin离散方式由均匀网格变为非均匀网格。仿真结果表明,三维直角坐标系下非均匀网格离散的抛物方程模型,在保持计算精度、提高计算速度的同时,可以实现远距离声场的快速预报。另外,针对远距离局部海底地形与距离有关的三维声传播问题,给出了声场快速计算方法;在海底保持水平的区域,采用经典Kraken模型,重构抛物方程算法的初始场,随后依次递推求解地形与距离有关海底下的三维声场。采用改进模型,证明了远距离楔形波导声强增强效应。      

Parabolic equation for nonlinear acoustic wave propagation in inhomogeneous moving media

A new parabolic equation is derived to describe the propagation of nonlinear sound waves in inhomogeneous moving media. The equation accounts for diffraction, nonlinearity, absorption, scalar inhomogeneities (density and sound speed), and vectorial inhomogeneities (flow). A numerical algorithm employed earlier to solve the KZK equation is adapted to this more general case. A two-dimensional version of the algorithm is used to investigate the propagation of nonlinear periodic waves in media with random inhomogeneities. For the case of scalar inhomogeneities, including the case of a flow parallel to the wave propagation direction, a complex acoustic field structure with multiple caustics is obtained. Inclusion of the transverse component of vectorial random inhomogeneities has little effect on the acoustic field. However, when a uniform transverse flow is present, the field structure is shifted without changing its morphology. The impact of nonlinearity is twofold: it produces strong shock waves in focal regions, while, outside the caustics, it produces higher harmonics without any shocks. When the intensity is averaged across the beam propagating through a random medium, it evolves similarly to the intensity of a plane nonlinear wave, indicating that the transverse redistribution of acoustic energy gives no considerable contribution to nonlinear absorption. Published in Russian in Akusticheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 52, No. 6, pp. 725–735. This article was translated by the authors.     

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.     

An effective quiescent medium for sound propagating through an inhomogeneous,moving fluid

The idea of similarity between acoustic fields in a moving fluid and in a certain "effective" quiescent medium, first put forward by Lord Rayleigh, proved very helpful in understanding and modeling sound propagation in an atmosphere with winds and in an ocean with currents, as well as in other applications involving flows with small velocity compared to sound speed. Known as effective sound speed approximation, the idea is routinely utilized in the contexts of the ray theory, normal mode representation of the sound field, and the parabolic approximation. Despite the wide use of the concept of effective sound speed in acoustics of moving media, no theoretical justification of Rayleigh's idea was published that would be independent of the chosen representation of the sound field and uniformly apply to distinct propagation regimes. In this paper, we present such a justification by reducing boundary conditions and a wave equation governing sound fields in the inhomogeneous moving fluid with a slow flow to boundary conditions and a wave equation in a quiescent fluid with effective sound speed and density. The derivation provides insight into validity conditions of the concept of effective quiescent fluid. Introduction of effective density in conjunction with effective sound speed is essential to ensure accurate reproduction of acoustic pressure amplitude in the effective medium. Effective parameters depend on sound speed, flow velocity, and density of the moving fluid as well as on sound propagation direction. Conditions are discussed under which the dependence on the propagation direction can be avoided or relaxed.     

Propagation of sound waves through a spatially homogeneous but smoothly time-dependent medium

The propagation of sound through a spatially homogeneous but non-stationary medium is investigated within the framework of fluid dynamics. For a non-vortical fluid, especially, a generalized wave equation is derived for the (scalar) potential of the fluid velocity distribution in dependence of the equilibrium mass density of the fluid and the sound wave velocity. A solution of this equation for a finite   transition period τ$\tau$ is determined in terms of the hypergeometric function for a phenomenologically realistic, sigmoidal change of the mass density and sound wave velocity. Using this solution, it is shown that the energy flux of the sound wave is not conserved but increases always   for the propagation through a non-stationary medium, independent of whether the equilibrium mass density is increased or decreased. It is found, moreover, that this amplification of the transmitted wave arises from an energy exchange with the medium and that its flux is equal to the (total) flux of the incident and the reflected wave. An interpretation of the reflected wave as a propagation of sound backward in time is given in close analogy to Feynman and Stueckelberg for the propagation of anti-particles. The reflection and transmission coefficients of sound propagating through a non-stationary medium is analyzed in more detail for hypersonic waves with transition periods τ$\tau$ between 15 and 200 ps as well as the transformation of infrasound waves in non-stationary oceans.     

Focusing of sound pulses using the time reversal technique on 100-km paths in a deep sea

Numerical and analytical studies are performed on how unstable fluctuations of the parameters of the medium in a deep sea affect the focusing of sound pulses using the time reversal method. The simplest situation, when point sources and receivers are used for emission and reception, is considered. Pulse propagation in the direct and backward directions is numerically simulated by the parabolic equation method. Calculations are performed for sound signals with frequencies of several tens of hertz. It is shown that, in the presence of sound velocity fluctuations caused by random internal waves, noticeable attenuation of the field amplitude at the center of the focal spot can be observed beginning from distances of 200 to 400 km. As the central frequency of the pulsed signal increases, the effect of nonstationarity of the perturbation on the focusing is amplified. This phenomenon is explained qualitatively and quantitatively in the geometrical optics approximation.     

Moment-screen method for wave propagation in a refractive medium with random scattering

Direct numerical solution of a parabolic equation (PE) for the second moment of the sound field in a refracting medium with random scattering is described. The method determines the mean-square sound pressure without requiring generation of random realizations of the propagation medium. The second-moment matrix is factored into components that are independently propagated with a conventional PE algorithm. A moment screen is periodically applied to attenuate the coherence of the wavefield, much as phase screens are often applied in the method of random realizations. An example involving upwind and downwind propagation in the near-ground atmosphere shows that the new direct method converges to an accurate solution faster than the method of random realizations and is particularly well suited to calculations at low frequencies.     

Modeling the propagation of nonlinear three-dimensional acoustic beams in inhomogeneous media

A three-dimensional model of the forward propagation of nonlinear sound beams in inhomogeneous media, a generalized Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov equation, is described. The Texas time-domain code (which accounts for paraxial diffraction, nonlinearity, thermoviscous absorption, and absorption and dispersion associated with multiple relaxation processes) was extended to solve for the propagation of nonlinear beams for the case where all medium properties vary in space. The code was validated with measurements of the nonlinear acoustic field generated by a phased array transducer operating at 2.5 MHz in water. A nonuniform layer of gel was employed to create an inhomogeneous medium. There was good agreement between the code and measurements in capturing the shift in the pressure distribution of both the fundamental and second harmonic due to the gel layer. The results indicate that the numerical tool described here is appropriate for propagation of nonlinear sound beams through weakly inhomogeneous media.     

Propagation of acoustic wave in viscoelastic medium permeated with air bubbles

Based on the modification of the radial pulsation equation of an individual bubble, an effective medium method (EMM) is presented for studying propagation of linear and nonlinear longitudinal acoustic waves in viscoelastic medium permeated with air bubbles. A classical theory developed previously by Gaunaurd (Gaunaurd GC and \"{U}berall H, {\em J. Acoust. Soc. Am}., 1978; 63: 1699--1711) is employed to verify the EMM under linear approximation by comparing the dynamic (i.e. frequency-dependent) effective parameters, and an excellent agreement is obtained. The propagation of longitudinal waves is hereby studied in detail. The results illustrate that the nonlinear pulsation of bubbles serves as the source of second harmonic wave and the sound energy has the tendency to be transferred to second harmonic wave. Therefore the sound attenuation and acoustic nonlinearity of the viscoelastic matrix are remarkably enhanced due to the system's resonance induced by the existence of bubbles.     

Superluminosity,sound propagation,and causality

Different field theories may lead to identical equations of state. Depending on the field theory, from which an equation of state is derived, in the superluminal density domain the sound wave propagation velocity exceeds (does not exceed) the velocity of light, if the field is a medium with normal (anomal) dispersion. Super-light sound violates causality, causality violations lead to logical paradoxies, so superluminal density regions should be regions of anomal dispersion.     

Modulational instability of ultra-low-frequency shear dust Alfvén waves in a plasma medium of positive and negatively charged dust fluids

The propagation of finite amplitude ultra-low-frequency shear dust Alfvén (SDA) waves, and their modulational instability in a magnetized plasma medium of positive and negatively charged dust fluids have been theoretically investigated by using the reductive perturbation method. The derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived to examine the stability analysis of such SDA waves. It is found that the SDA waves propagating in such an opposite polarity dust plasma medium are modulationally unstable, and that the instability criterion and the growth rate of these unstable SDA waves in such a novel opposite polarity dust plasma medium are found to be significantly different from those in electron–ion or electron–positron plasma media. The implications of the present investigation in different space environments and laboratory devices are briefly discussed.     

颗粒介质中的粘滞系数

将颗粒介质看成是等效均匀介质, 其中的声衰减系数和声速等于该颗粒介质中的相应的量值(它们可由作者的理论给出), 等效静态密度可以用二元混合规则求得. 此外, 根据浓颗粒介质中相互作用的声传播理论, 当入射波为平面波时, 相互作用的次级波仍然是平面波. 在这样的情况下, 可以将三维非线性方程组简化为一维情况, 从而算得浓颗粒介质中的粘滞系数, 结果表明, 颗粒介质中的粘滞系数不仅依赖于颗粒的体积分数而且还与频率有关. 根据推导过程可知, 对比于爱因斯坦理论所能应用的限制, 本文的结果可以更广泛地应用于实际介质.     

A numerical approach to sound levels in near-surface refractive shadows

The present study formulates a consistent method to simulate the outdoor, near-surface sound propagation through realistic refractive conditions. The correlated atmospheric stratification and turbulence properties are derived from standard meteorological quantities through flux-profile similarity relationships. The propagation of a monochromatic sound field is simulated in presence of the turbulence and stratification effects and an impedance ground. The propagation model uses a numerical solution of a second-order moment parabolic equation, which is introduced and evaluated. The so-formed coupled atmospheric-acoustic model is used to systematically investigate the sound levels in near-surface refractive shadows. In an illustrative propagation scenario, the shadow zone sound levels are predicted to show significant variations with the meteorological conditions. Specifically, the sound levels decrease with the adverse wind, as a consequence of enhanced mean upward refraction. Conversely, they increase with the absolute value of the surface heat flux, as a consequence of enhanced turbulence scattering. Implications for the assessment of the sound levels in shadow zones are discussed.     

Comparison of simulations and data from a seismo-acoustic tank experiment

A tank experiment was carried out to investigate underwater sound propagation over an elastic bottom in flat and sloping configurations. The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate range-dependent propagation models with high-quality experimental data. The sea floor was modeled as an elastic medium by a polyvinyl chloride slab. The relatively high rigidity of the slab requires accounting for shear waves in this environment. Acoustic measurements were obtained along virtual arrays in the water column using a robotic apparatus. Elastic parabolic equation solutions are in excellent agreement with data.     

Nonlinear pulsed ultrasound beams radiated by rectangular focused diagnostic transducers

A numerical model for simulating nonlinear pulsed beams radiated by rectangular focused transducers, which are typical of diagnostic ultrasound systems, is presented. The model is based on a KZK-type nonlinear evolution equation generalized to an arbitrary frequency-dependent absorption. The method of fractional steps with an operator-splitting procedure is employed in the combined frequency-time domain algorithm. The diffraction is described using the implicit backward finite-difference scheme and the alternate direction implicit method. An analytic solution in the time domain is employed for the nonlinearity operator. The absorption and dispersion of the sound speed are also described using an analytic solution but in the frequency domain. Numerical solutions are obtained for the nonlinear acoustic field in a homogeneous tissue-like medium obeying a linear frequency law of absorption and in a thermoviscous fluid with a quadratic frequency law of absorption. The model is applied to study the spatial distributions of the fundamental and second harmonics for a typical diagnostic ultrasound source. The nonlinear distortion of pulses and their spectra due to the propagation in tissues are presented. A better understanding of nonlinear propagation in tissue may lead to improvements in nonlinear imaging and in specific tissue harmonic imaging. Published in Russian in Akusticheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 560–570. This article was translated by the authors.     

非平衡、非绝热气体中的波

本文探讨了非平衡、非绝热气体中扰动传播的特性。包括弛豫波、压力波、密度波以及热模。基于热扰具有反馈机制的看法,导出了非平衡、非绝热气体中扰动传播的基本方程式和色散关系。由此得到了一些新的结论,例如,扰动能够放大或缓慢衰减,后者为大气中次声波吸收的异常现象提供了一种合理的解释;非绝热能够引起很大的弥散现象;非绝热过程对噪声的传播能够产生显著的阻尼作用等等。此外,压力波、密度波和热模不稳定的结论与气体放电失稳性的实验相符合。 关键词：     

Model equation for strongly focused finite-amplitude sound beams

A model equation that describes the propagation of sound beams in a fluid is developed using the oblate spheroidal coordinate system. This spheroidal beam equation (SBE) is a parabolic equation and has a specific application to a theoretical prediction on focused, high-frequency beams from a circular aperture. The aperture angle does not have to be small. The theoretical background is basically along the same analytical lines as the composite method (CM) reported previously [B. Ystad and J. Berntsen, Acustica 82, 698-706 (1996)]. Numerical examples are displayed for the amplitudes of sound pressure along and across the beam axis when sinusoidal waves are radiated from the source with uniform amplitude distribution. The primitive approach to linear field analysis is readily extended to the case where harmonic generation in finite-amplitude sound beams becomes significant due to the inherent nonlinearity of the medium. The theory provides the propagation and beam pattern profiles that differ from the CM solution for each harmonic component.