Orientation dependence of broadband acoustic backscattering from live squid

A controlled laboratory experiment of broadband acoustic backscattering from live squid (Loligo pealeii) was conducted using linear chirp signals (60-103 kHz) with data collected over the full 360° of orientation in the lateral plane, in <1° increments. The acoustic measurements were compared with an analytical prolate spheroid model and a three-dimensional numerical model with randomized squid shape, both based on the distorted-wave Born approximation formulation. The data were consistent with the hypothesized fluid-like scattering properties of squid. The contributions from the front and back interfaces of the squid were found to dominate the scattering at normal incidence, while the arms had a significant effect at other angles. The three-dimensional numerical model predictions out-performed the prolate spheroid model over a wide range of orientations. The predictions were found to be sensitive to the shape parameters, including the arms and the fins. Accurate predictions require setting these shape parameters to best describe the most probable squid shape for different applications. The understanding developed here serves as a basis for the accurate interpretation of in situ acoustic scattering measurements of squid.     

Improved parameterization of Antarctic krill target strength models

There are historical discrepancies between empirical observations of Antarctic krill target strength and predictions using theoretical scattering models. These differences are addressed through improved understanding of key model parameters. The scattering process was modeled using the distorted-wave Born approximation, representing the shape of the animal as a bent and tapered cylinder. Recently published length-based regressions were used to constrain the sound speed and density contrasts between the animal and the surrounding seawater, rather than the earlier approach of using single values for all lengths. To constrain the parameter governing the orientation of the animal relative to the incident acoustic wave, direct measurements of the orientation of krill in situ were made with a video plankton recorder. In contrast to previous indirect and aquarium-based observations, krill were observed to orient themselves mostly horizontally. Averaging predicted scattering over the measured distribution of orientations resulted in predictions of target strength consistent with in situ measurements of target strength of large krill (mean length 40-43 mm) at four frequencies (43-420 kHz), but smaller than expected under the semi-empirical model traditionally used to estimate krill target strength.     

On acoustic scattering by a shell-covered seafloor

Acoustic scattering by the seafloor is sometimes influenced, if not dominated, by the presence of discrete volumetric objects such as shells. A series of measurements of target strength of a type of benthic shelled animal and associated scattering modeling have recently been completed (Stanton et al., "Acoustic scattering by benthic and planktonic shelled animals," J. Acoust. Soc. Am., this issue). The results of that study are used herein to estimate the scattering by the seafloor with a covering of shells at high acoustic frequencies. A simple formulation is derived that expresses the area scattering strength of the seafloor in terms of the average reduced target strength or material properties of the discrete scatterers and their packing factor (where the reduced target strength is the target strength normalized by the geometric cross section of the scatterers and the averaging is done over orientation and/or a narrow range of size or frequency). The formula shows that, to first order, the backscattering at high acoustic frequencies by a layer of shells (or other discrete bodies such as rocks) depends principally upon material properties of the objects and packing factor and is independent of size and acoustic frequency. Estimates of area scattering strength using this formula and measured values of the target strength of shelled bodies from Stanton et al. (this issue) are close to or consistent with observed area scattering strengths due to shell-covered seafloors published in other papers.     

Broadband acoustic scattering measurements of underwater unexploded ordnance (UXO)

In order to evaluate the potential for detection and identification of underwater unexploded ordnance (UXO) by exploiting their structural acoustic response, we carried out broadband monostatic scattering measurements over a full 360 degrees on UXO's (two mortar rounds, an artillery shell, and a rocket warhead) and false targets (a cinder block and a large rock). The measurement band, 1-140 kHz, includes a low frequency structural acoustics region in which the wavelengths are comparable to or larger than the target characteristic dimensions. In general, there are aspects that provide relatively high target strength levels ( approximately -10 to -15 dB), and from our experience the targets should be detectable in this structural acoustics band in most acoustic environments. The rigid body scattering was also calculated for one UXO in order to highlight the measured scattering features involving elastic responses. The broadband scattering data should be able to support feature-based separation of UXO versus false targets and identification of various classes of UXO as well.     

Scattering from a single bubble near a roughened air-water interface: laboratory measurements and modeling

The problem of scattering from a single bubble located close to a slightly roughened, air-water interface is studied both theoretically and experimentally. Two well-controlled laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the effects of surface roughness on the scattering response of the bubble. In the first experiment, a bubble of radius 1200 microm was placed on a fine thread at a variable distance, d, from the mean-still-water level of the surface, which was roughened using a wind source. In the second experiment, a bubble of radius 800 microm was utilized, while the water surface was roughened using a plunger wave-making source. The waveheights and important characteristic length scales associated with each experiment were quantified using digital photography. The wind source produced waveheights that were represented by a Gaussian distribution, while the plunger source produced waveheights that were represented by a bimodal distribution. To model the acoustic measurements, an expression describing the four scattering paths, from source to bubble to receiver, was used. A random phase shift due to the surface roughness was added to the paths that interacted with the surface, and expectations of this phase shift were computed based on the analytical representations for the waveheight distribution. The data show good agreement with the simulations and the sensitivity of scattering from a subsurface bubble to small changes in waveheight is illustrated. The experiments highlight important parametric dependencies, which are summarized here, and the relation between monostatic and bistatic scattering is also discussed.     

Long-range acoustic scattering from a shallow-water mud-volcano cluster

Analysis of reverberation measurements in the Straits of Sicily shows high intensity, discrete, scattered returns 10-20 dB above background reverberation. These returns are due to scattering from mud volcanoes. The reverberation from the mud volcanoes at ranges of 15-22 km is reasonably consistent over these spatial scales (i.e., kilometers) and temporal scales of several hours; measurements separated by 4 years are also similar. Statistical characterization indicates that the reverberation associated with a mud-volcano cluster is strongly non-Rayleigh and that the reverberation can be characterized by a single (shape) parameter, roughly independent of frequency. The non-Rayleigh statistics, with a concomitant increase in the probability of false alarm, indicate that mud volcanoes are a likely source of clutter. Mean target strengths were estimated at 1-11 dB over 160-1400 Hz and are consistent with target strengths measured during a different year at short (direct-path) ranges. Accumulated evidence points to small (order 10 m diameter and several meters high) carbonate chimneys on the mud-volcano edifice as the scattering mechanism as opposed to the edifice itself or scattering from gas bubbles in the water column. Thus, the results represent acoustic scattering from mud volcanoes in a quiescent state.     

鳀鱼(Engraulis japonicus)目标强度的模型法研究

采用声散射理论和目标强度近似模型评估法对黄海鲤鱼（Engraulis japonicus）的声散射特征和目标强度进行了数值计算与评估研究。散射模型由鱼鳔模型和鱼体模型两个部分构成，其中鱼鳔采用充满气体的椭球体模型，鳔除外的鱼体采用充满液体的椭球体模型。理论数值计算所需参数取自全长12．6cm的鲤鱼个体，其鱼鳔尺寸利用X光照片测得。平均目标强度利用模型算得的不同角度下的声散射强度与鲲鱼倾角分布函数的卷积计算，其中倾角（度）的分布函数设为N（-3．9，12．8^2）。结果显示，鲲鱼对声波的散射具有明显指向性；在38kHz和120kHz工作频率下，鲲鱼的最大背向目标强度分别为-41．2dB和-39．5dB，有效平均目标强度分别为-48．0dB和-51．5dB，与实测结果吻合较好。另外还对鲲鱼的反向散射指向性特征、目标强度的频率特征以及鱼鳔对鲲鱼整体目标强度的贡献等进行了分析与讨论。以上研究表明，模型法作为现场测定研究方法的重要补充和认知鱼类声学散射特性的有效途径，可在我国鱼类目标强度的研究中发挥重要作用。     

Material properties of euphausiids and other zooplankton from the Bering Sea

Acoustic assessment of Bering Sea euphausiids and their predators can provide useful data for ecosystem studies if the acoustic scattering characteristics of these animals are known. The amount of acoustic energy that is scattered by different marine zooplankton taxa is strongly affected by the contrast of the animal's density (g) and sound speed (h) with the surrounding seawater. Density and sound speed contrast were measured in the Bering Sea during the summer of 2008 for several different zooplankton and nekton taxa including: euphausiids (Thysanoessa inermis, Thysanoessa raschii, and Thysanoessa spinifera), copepods, amphipods, chaetognaths, gastropods, fish larvae, jellyfish, and squid. Density contrast values varied between different taxa as well as between individual animals within the same species. Sound speed contrast was measured for monospecific groups of animals and differences were found among taxa. The range, mean, and standard deviation of g and h for all euphausiid species were: g = 1.001-1.041; 1.018 ± 0.009 and h = 0.990-1.017; 1.006 ± 0.008. Changes in the relationship between euphausiid material properties and animal length, seawater temperature, seawater density, and geographic location were also evaluated. Results suggest that environmental conditions at different sample locations led to significant differences in animal density and material properties.     

Calculation of acoustic scattering of a nonrigid surface using physical acoustic method

In this paper the physical acoustic method or the Kirchhoff approxima-tion is extended to treat the scattering of a nonrigid surface in order to estimatethe target strength of targets with absorbing coatings.By using the locally planewave approximation,the relationship between the sound pressure and its normalderivative on the surface can be represented by the plane wave reflectioncoefficient and the acoustic impedance of the surface.The resulting modifiedKirchhoff approximation involves the plane wave reflection coefficient.For aimpedance sphere,a comparison between the physical acoustic method and theexact solution shows that the physical acoustic method still is a good approxima-tion at higher κα values.     

Fluid flow imaging by means of wide-band diffraction tomography.

The problem of reconstructing a two-dimensional distribution of fluid flow from wide-band scattering measurements is considered. Reciprocal scattering measurements are employed, meaning that scattered waves are recorded between a source and receiver, and again with the source and receiver interchanged. As shown, such measurements allow the reconstruction of a fluid flow image separate from that of a distribution of stationary acoustic velocity inhomogeneities.     

近岸4种鱼的声散射特征提取及融合实验研究*

为了有效地提取表征鱼类间差异的声散射特征参数,该文通过绳系法实验研究了近岸4种经济鱼类的声散射信号特征提取及融合方法。首先,通过自研双频鱼探仪采集花鲈、许氏平鲉、黑鲷和斑石鲷的个体鱼声散射信号;然后,分别测定200 kHz和450 kHz换能器下鱼体的目标强度,同时提取鱼声散射信号的时频域统计特征;最后,将降维后的时频特征与频差特征融合组成新的特征向量。该文通过实验验证了该方法的有效性,基于组合特征的支持向量机识别准确率达93%。结果表明,鱼的频率响应特性和鱼声散射信号的时频域统计特征能一定程度上反映鱼的固有属性,有效地增加判别依据能显著提高以上4种鱼类的识别准确率。     

Physical model of acoustic forward scattering by cylindrical shell and its experimental validation

Research on the underwater target scattering can provide important theoretical support for target detection. The scattering model of cylindrical shell is established in this paper. It is found that the forward target strength is much stronger and varies with angles of incident wave less significantly than backward target strength. The received forward signal strength fluctuates with the target moving due to the interference between direct signal and scattering signal, which is most significant when target approaches the baseline. An experiment is carried out in an anechoic tank to validate the scattering model. The method of acquisiting forward scattering in the tank is proposed. The forward and the backward target strengths are achieved by using the pulse compression technology, and they are about 3dB less than the modeling results. The forward scattering phenomena of quiescent and moving target are measured, which are similar to modeling results with different target types.     

Near-field measurements of the scattering characteristics of a moving object with doppler filtering of the signal

The scattering characteristics of a moving object can be measured by insonifying it with a tone source and receiving the scattered signal with a linear array positioned in the near zone of the object. Possible algorithms of scattered signal processing aimed at determining the angular dependence of scatterer’s target strength are considered. On the basis of experimental data on the angular and frequency characteristics of reverberation caused by insonification of the water area with a tone source, the possibility of the aforementioned measurements is estimated and the minimal measurable values in the angular dependence of scatterer’s target strength are determined for a water area perturbed by weak wind waves.     

Small-slope simulation of acoustic backscatter from a physical model of an elastic ocean bottom

An underwater acoustic experiment with a two-dimensional rough interface, milled from a slab of PVC, was performed at a tank facility. The purpose was to verify the predictions of numerical models of acoustic rough surface scattering, using a manufactured physical model of an ocean bottom that featured shear effects, nonhomogeneous roughness statistics, and root-mean-square roughness amplitude on the order of the acoustic wavelength. Predictions of the received time series and interface scattering strength in the 100-300 kHz band were obtained from the Bottom Reverberation from Inhomogeneities and Surfaces-Small-Slope Approximation (BORIS-SSA) numerical scattering model. The predictions were made using direct measurements of scattering model inputs-specifically, the geoacoustic properties from laboratory analysis of material samples and the grid of surface heights from a touch-trigger probe. BORIS-SSA predictions for the amplitude of the received time series were shown to be accurate with a root-mean-square residual error of about 1 dB, while errors for the scattering strength prediction were higher (2-3.5 dB). The work is part of an ongoing effort to use physical models to examine a variety of acoustic scattering and propagation phenomena involving the ocean bottom.     

水下目标弹性声散射信号分离

水下目标弹性声散射与其他声散射成分在时域和频域上均存在混叠, 现有信号处理方法受分辨力限制无法在混叠状态下识别目标弹性声散射特征. 针对这个问题, 提出了一种目标弹性声散射信号分离方法. 以目标回波亮点模型为基础, 分析了线性调频信号入射时目标声散射成分的信号特性, 提出了一种目标声散射成分向单频信号的映射方法, 并理论推导出了目标声散射结构与映射结果之间的线性对应关系, 实现了通过窄带滤波分离出目标弹性声散射成分. 仿真与消声水池实验数据处理结果表明, 该方法基本可以完全分离出目标回波信号中的弹性声散射成分, 分离出的弹性声散射具有与理论一致的信号特征, 验证了该分离方法的有效性.     

AN ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE DIRECT MEASUREMENT METHOD OF ESTIMATING THE ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE OF A TIME-VARYING SOURCE

This paper presents an analytical investigation of the direct method of measurement of the source impedance of a linear time-variant source. The direct method yields a frequency-dependent effective source impedance which is routinely used in a time-invariant analysis to determine the insertion loss of two different acoustic loads applied to the same source. In such an analysis the strength of the source is assumed to be invariant with load. It is shown here that there is generally no precise correspondence between the effective source impedance as given by the direct method and the characteristics of the actual source. Furthermore, it is shown that the effective source impedance values given by the direct method are functions of the acoustic load and the location of the injected signal as used in the measurement. However, the effective source resistance is always found to be positive, in accordance with experimental measurements. In this regard the direct method is an improvement on the indirect method, where physically implausible negative resistance values are often found. Finally, it is shown that the effective impedance values as given by the direct method when used with a time-invariant analysis give rise to very accurate predictions of insertion loss, even when the strength of the actual time-variant source is allowed to vary with the acoustic load.     

Anomalous sea surface reverberation scale model experiments

Low frequency sea surface sound backscattering from approximately 100 Hz to a few kHz observed from the 1960s broadband measurements using explosive charges to the Critical Sea Test measurements conducted in the 1990 s is substantially higher than explained by rough sea surface scattering theory. Alternative theories for explaining this difference range from scattering by bubble plumes/clouds formed by breaking waves to stochastic scattering from fluctuating bubble layers near the sea surface. In each case, theories focus on reverberation in the absence of the large-scale surface wave height fluctuations that are characteristic of a sea that produces bubble clouds and plumes. At shallow grazing angles, shadowing of bubble plumes and clouds caused by surface wave height fluctuations may induce first order changes in the backscattered signal strength. To understand the magnitude of shadowing effects under controlled and repeatable conditions, scale model experiments were performed in a 3 m x 1.5 m x 1.5 m tank at the Technical University of Denmark. The experiments used a 1 MHz transducer as the source and receiver, a computer controlled data acquisition system, a scale model target, and a surface wave generator. The scattered signal strength fluctuations observed at shallow angles are characteristic of the predicted ocean environment. These experiments demonstrate that shadowing has a first order impact on bubble plume and cloud scattering strength and emphasize the usefulness of model scale experiments for studying underwater acoustic events under controlled conditions.     

水下目标回波与混响的时频形态特征域盲分离

水下沉底或掩埋目标识别受海底混响干扰严重,并且目标回波与混响在时-频域上均存在混叠,增大了对目标回波与混响的分离难度。根据目标回波与混响的产生机理差异,将图像形态学与时频分析相结合的盲分离算法用于目标回波与混响的分离。推导了目标几何声散射成分与混响在Wigner-Ville时频面的形态特征表达式,利用图像形态学滤波去除Wigner-Ville时频面中的混响及刚性亮点之间交叉项,在时频形态特征域获取解混矩阵,实现了目标回波和混响的分离。仿真与实验数据处理结果表明,结合图像形态学的时频域盲分离算法提高了目标回波信号的信混比。      

Spatial resolution limits for the reconstruction of acoustic source strength by inverse methods

One method for deducing the strength of an acoustic source distribution from measurement of the radiated field involves the inversion of the matrix of frequency response functions relating the field measurement points to the strengths of a number of point sources used to represent the source distribution. In practice, the frequency response function matrix to be inverted may very often be ill-conditioned. This ill-conditioning will also often result in an ill-posed problem and thus regularization algorithms are used to produce reasonable solutions. For this purpose, Tikhonov regularization has been applied, and generalized cross-validation (GCV) has been introduced as an effective method for determining the proper amount of regularization without prior knowledge of either the source distribution or the contaminating errors. In the present work, the emphasis is placed on the relationship between the spatial resolution of the reconstructed source distribution and the small singular values of the frequency response function matrix to be inverted. However, the use of Tikhonov regularization often suppresses the effect of small singular values and these are in turn often associated with high spatial frequencies of the source distribution. Thus, the process of regularization produces a useful estimate of the acoustic source strength distribution but with a limited spatial resolution. Furthermore, in the field of Fourier acoustics, the spatial resolution of the reconstructed source distribution is usually limited by the wavelength of the radiation. This paper expresses the relationship between estimation accuracy, spatial resolution, noise-level and source/sensor geometry, when a range of inverse sound radiation problems are regularised using Tikhonov regularization with GCV. The results presented form the basis of guidelines that enable the reconstruction of acoustic source strength with a resolution that is finer than the intrinsic half-wavelength limit.     

Measurements of the acoustic target strengths of fish in dorsal aspect,including swimbladder resonance

The need for measurements of the acoustic target strength of fish is discussed. The phenomenon of swimbladder resonance of small deep ocean fish is well known and is a useful means of estimating their sizes. For larger commercial fish in shallower seas the resonant frequency is much lower and resonance is very difficult to observe in the field. A method of observing and measuring the swimbladder resonance of a captive live fish in controlled conditions is described, and results on several gadoids are given. Reasons for the observed resonant frequencies being higher than predicted are given; the damping of resonance is high, which is expected. Application of these results to acoustic sizing at sea appears remote. They are relevant, however, to studies of low-frequency sound propagation, and the experimental technique is offered as a useful tool in physiological studies involving swim-bladder function.