Detection of object resonances by vibro-acoustography and numerical vibrational mode identification

Chalk sphere and cylinder resonance frequencies related to compressional and bending modes were detected in water, using vibro-acoustography, a relatively new imaging technique. The variable (radiation) force of low-frequency excitation, produced by intersecting two primary focused ultrasound waves with slightly different frequencies, forces the object to vibrate. The low-frequency acoustic emission field, resulting from object vibration, was detected by a hydrophone. By fixing the object at the focus of the ultrasound beam and sweeping the frequency of one of the primary beams within a chosen bandwidth, it was possible to detect some of the resonance frequencies (those related to compressional and bending modes) via variations in acoustic emission amplitude. Experimental results showed excellent agreement with finite element calculations. This method can be used to characterize the presence of heterogeneities in various media, in the field of materials science or biology.     

Interaction of acoustic waves in microinhomogeneous media with hysteretic nonlinearity and relaxation

The propagation of a weak high-frequency pulse in the field of an intense standing low-frequency pump wave excited in an acoustic resonator with quadratic hysteretic nonlinearity and relaxation is theoretically investigated. The nonlinear damping coefficient and the carrier phase delay of the weak high-frequency pulse propagating under the action of an intense low-frequency wave are determined.     

Critical issues in breast imaging by vibro-acoustography

Clinically, there are two important issues in breast imaging: detection of microcalcifications and identification of mass lesions. X-ray mammography is the main imaging method used for detection of microcalcification, and ultrasound imaging is normally used for detection of mass lesions in breast. Both these methods have limitations that reduce their clinical usefulness. For this reasons, alternative breast imaging modalities are being sought. vibro-acoustography is an imaging modality that has emerged in recent years. This method is based on low-frequency harmonic vibrations induced in the object by the radiation force of ultrasound. This paper describes potential applications of vibro-acoustography for breast imaging and addresses the critical imaging issues such as detection of microcalcifications and mass lesions in breast. Recently, we have developed a vibro-acoustography system for in vivo breast imaging and have tested it on a number of volunteers. Resulting images show soft tissue structures and calcifications within breast with high contrast, high resolution, and no speckles. The results have been verified using X-ray mammography. The encouraging results from in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that further development of vibro-acoustography technology may lead to a new clinical tool that can be used to detect microcalcifications as well as mass lesions in breast.     

An Experimental Approach for Detection of the Acoustic Radiation Induced Static Component in Solids

We propose an experimental approach to directly detect the acoustic radiation induced static component(SC)of primary longitudinal(L) wave propagation in solids using an ultrasonic pitch-catch technique,where a lowfrequency ultrasonic transducer is used to detect the SC generated by the co-propagating primary L-wave tone burst that is excited by a high-frequency ultrasonic transducer.Essentially,the experimental approach proposed uses a dynamic method to detect the SC generated.The basic requirem...     

Dependence of the Mean Intensity of a Low-Frequency Acoustic Field on the Bottom Parameters of a Shallow Sea with Random Volumetric Water-Layer Inhomogeneities

The study is devoted to statistical modeling of low-frequency acoustic signal propagation in a twodimensionally inhomogeneous random shallow sea with a thermocline and differing penetrability of the bottom. Calculations are performed using the local-mode representation of the solution in the one-way propagation approximation. Plots are presented for the behavior of the mean acoustic field intensity for different sound velocity and density values in the bottom. It is shown that the earlier described effect of a decrease in propagation losses in a model randomly inhomogeneous shallow sea with an absorbing bottom significantly depends on the parameters of bottom sediments and is more strongly manifested for bottom boundaries with greater penetrability.     

Interaction of Rayleigh waves with a rib attached to a plate

An analysis of the interaction of a pulse of Rayleigh waves on a plate with a rectangular flange or rib attached in the far field of its acoustic emission (AE) source is presented. A finite difference (FD) model is used to give numerical visualizations of the development of the complete wave-field propagating through the structure and also to give displacement data for selected points. An ‘energy partition model’, for Rayleigh wave propagation across the rib has been developed and is described. Ray theory wave arrival time calculations are given for the propagation of various mode-converted components transmitted across the flange. A series of experimental measurements of AE wave propagation across a T-butt welded rib on a plate were made and these are compared with the model predictions. The practical implications of these findings for acoustic emission monitoring of large structures of complex shape are discussed.     

高强混凝土单轴压缩声发射频率特征试验研究

为研究高强混凝土破裂前声发射信号的频率特征,对C60、C70、C80高强混凝土试件进行单轴压缩下的高、低频双通道声发射试验,得到破裂过程的力学参数和声发射参数,探求高强混凝土不同加载阶段声发射信号频率的分布特征。研究表明,三种高强混凝土在峰值应力前,高、低频通道声发射信号均集中在特定的频段内;临近峰值应力时,高、低频通道的声发射信号频率向低频段移动,同时优势频段内的频率趋于分散,这可作为预测高强混凝土破坏的前兆信息。     

大张角共焦换能器对振动声成像的影响*

振动声成像是超声成像的一种重要形式,它可以得到包含共焦区组织的弹性信息和声衰减信息的信号,将接收到的信号用于成像即可获得反映组织特性的图像。该文对大张角共焦换能器作用下振动声成像中声辐射力和切变位移进行了理论计算和数值模拟,并通过改变张角变化及频率大小研究其对声辐射力和切变位移的影响。这项工作为大张角共焦换能器在振动声成像中的应用提供了理论支持。     

Dynamical behaviour of non-linear quantum ion acoustic wave in weakly magnetized electron–positron–ion plasma

In order to investigate the propagation characteristics of linear and non-linear ion acoustic waves (IAWs) in electron–positron–ion quantum plasma in the presence of external weak magnetic field, we have used a quantum hydrodynamic model, and degenerate statistics for the electrons and positrons are taken into account. It is found that the linear dispersion relation of the IAW was modified by the externally applied magnetic field. By using the reductive perturbation technique, a gyration-modified Korteweg-de Vries equation is derived for finite amplitude non-linear IAWs. Time-dependent numerical simulation shows the formation of an oscillating tail in front of the ion acoustic solitons in the presence of a weak magnetic field. It is also seen that the amplitude and width of solitons and oscillating tails are affected by the relevant plasma parameters such as quantum diffraction, positron concentration, and magnetic field. We have performed our analysis by extending it to account for approximate soliton solution by asymptotic perturbation technique and non-linear analysis via a dynamical system approach. The analytical results show the distortion of the shape of the localized soliton with time, and the non-linear analysis confirms the generation of oscillating tails.     

Image features in medical vibro-acoustography: in vitro and in vivo results

Vibro-acoustography is an imaging method based on audio-frequency harmonic vibrations induced in the object by the radiation force of focused ultrasound. The purpose of this study is to investigate features of vibro-acoustography images and manifestation of various tissue structures and calcifications in such images. Our motivation for this study is to pave the way for further in vitro and in vivo applications of vibro-acoustography. Here, vibro-acoustography images of excised prostate and in vivo breast are presented and compared with images obtained with other modalities. Resulting vibro-acoustography images obtained with a 3 MHz ultrasound transducer and at a vibration frequency of 50-60 kHz show soft tissue structures, tissue borders, and microcalcifications with high contrast, high resolution, and no speckle. It is concluded that vibro-acoustography offers features that may be valuable for diagnostic purposes.     

Acoustoseismic wave fields generated by surface seismic vibrators

Results of experimental and theoretical studies of acoustoseismic wave fields generated by surface seismic vibrators are presented. In experiments with high-power seismic vibrators operating in a frequency range of 5–10 Hz, acoustic waves were recorded at distances up to 50 km from the source. The long-range sound propagation from seismic vibration sources was observed in a near-surface waveguide arising due to temperature inversion. The effect of the acoustoseismic induction, i.e., excitation of surface seismic waves by the acoustic wave arriving from the vibrator, was also detected. The results of mathematical modeling of the acoustoseismic field generation by an operating seismic vibrator are presented. They include the modeling of the radiation of a harmonic acoustic wave’s by the vibrator, its trapping by the near-surface waveguide, the long-range low-frequency acoustic wave propagation in the presence of the waveguide, and the induction of a surface seismic wave by the arriving harmonic acoustic wave. It is shown that a seismoacoustic wave propagating at the boundary between the elastic earth and the atmosphere is an analog of the Stonely wave that appears in the presence of a near-surface low-temperature layer in the atmosphere.     

Vibro-acoustography and multifrequency image compounding

Vibro-acoustography is an ultrasound based imaging modality that can visualize normal and abnormal soft tissue through mapping the acoustic response of the object to a harmonic radiation force at frequency Δf induced by focused ultrasound. In this method, the ultrasound energy is converted from high ultrasound frequencies to a low acoustic frequency (acoustic emission) that is often two orders of magnitude smaller than the ultrasound frequency. The acoustic emission is normally detected by a hydrophone. Depending on the setup, this low frequency sound may reverberate by object boundaries or other structures present in the acoustic paths before it reaches the hydrophone. This effect produces an artifact in the image in the form of gradual variations in image intensity that may compromise image quality. The use of tonebursts with finite length yields acoustic emission at Δf and at sidebands centered about Δf. Multiple images are formed by selectively applying bandpass filters on the acoustic emission at Δf and the associated sidebands. The data at these multiple frequencies are compounded through both coherent and incoherent processes to reduce the acoustic emission reverberation artifacts. Experimental results from a urethane breast phantom are described. The coherent and incoherent compounding of multifrequency data show, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the efficacy of this reverberation reduction method. This paper presents theory describing the physical origin of this artifact and use of image data created using multifrequency vibro-acoustography for reducing reverberation artifacts.     

深海海底山环境下声传播水平折射效应研究

声波在深海海底山环境中传播时,海底山会对声传播产生重要影响.2016年在南海深海进行了一次海底山环境下的声传播实验,观测到了由海底山引起的三维声传播效应,本文利用BELLHOP射线理论解释了海底山环境下的三维声传播机理.结果表明：声波在传播过程中与海底山作用后破坏了深海会聚区结构,导致传播损失增大,在海底山后形成具有明显边界的声水平折射区,利用二维声传播模型无法解释实验现象,海底山后声水平折射区实验测量的声场结构与N×2D模型计算结果存在明显差异,实验的传播损失比N×2D模型计算结果大10 dB.通过三维射线模型分析N×2D模型计算结果与实验结果存在明显差异产生的原因,发现由于声波水平折射作用,部分声线无法到达接收器,使得三维声传播效应对海底山后一定角度范围内声场影响较为明显.因此,深海海底山会引起明显的三维水平折射效应,应在水下目标探测和定位等应用中给予重视.     

Statistical properties of low-frequency fluctuations during single-mode operation in distributed-feedback lasers: experiments and modeling

Extensive experimental and numerical investigations of feedback-induced instabilities in single-mode distributed-feedback lasers are presented that confirm the basic assumptions of the Lang-Kobayashi model. We give experimental evidence of the occurrence of low-frequency fluctuation (LFF), alternation between LFF and stable emission, and coherence collapse during single-mode operation of the laser. We have obtained quantitative agreement between modeling and experiment in long-time statistical investigations of the time intervals between subsequent LFF dropouts. In particular, we show that even the dependence of the dynamics on the injection current, which results in a scaling law, is quantitatively identical in modeling and experiment.     

Three-dimensional coupled-mode model and characteristics of low-frequency sound propagation in ocean waveguide with seamount topography

Large-scale topography, such as a seamount, substantially impacts low-frequency sound propagation in an ocean waveguide, limiting the application of low-frequency acoustic detecting techniques. A three-dimensional (3D) coupled-mode model is developed to calculate the acoustic field in an ocean waveguide with seamount topography and analyze the 3D effect. In this model, a correction is introduced in the bottom boundary, theoretically making the acoustic field satisfy the energy conservation. Furthermore, a large azimuth angle calculation range is obtained by using the operator theory and higher-order Padé approximation. Additionally, the model has advantages related to the coupling mode and parabolic equation theory. The couplings corresponding to the effects of range-dependent environment are fully considered, and the numerical implementation is kept feasible. After verifying the accuracy and reliability of the model, low-frequency sound propagation characteristics in the seamount environment are analyzed. The results indicate lateral variability in bathymetry can lead to out-of-plane effects such as the horizontal refraction phenomenon, while the coupling effect tends to restore the abnormal sound field and produces acoustic field diffraction behind the seamount. This model effectively considers the effects of the horizontal refraction and coupling, which are proportional to the scale of the seamount.     

Random focusing of sound into spatially coherent regions

Abstract

Oceanographic variability creates a weak random propagation medium for acoustic waves. The impact on acoustic transmission is becoming increasingly appreciated as the deterministic modelling of sound propagation in the ocean has become tractable and better understood. Beyond the near field (where phase fluctuations are weak) and the far field (where the scintillation index becomes saturated) multiple-scattering theory predicts that random focusing will greatly enhance the acoustic energy density over small volumetric regions, which we call ‘ribbons’. In 1986 an experiment was carried out in the eastern Mediterranean to test this prediction using acoustic propagation along distinct, resolvable ray paths. This experiment is one of the few to map the spatial structure of acoustic intensity with such a large vertical aperture, and as far as the authors are aware it remains the only experiment to attempt to detect the two-dimensional structure of the predicted focused ribbons for individual energy paths. Renewed impetus to publish the results has been provided by the recent focus on moderate- to high-frequency acoustics in near-shore and shallow-water environments. The experiment is described and high-intensity regions consistent with the theoretical predictions are reported. A 3.5 kHz pulsed signal was transmitted over ranges of 11–23 km and sampled over a vertical aperture of 250–350 m and horizontal apertures of 4–4.5 km. The acoustic signals travelling along individual ray paths developed randomly focused regions of 6–18 dB over regions with a vertical dimension of about 20 m and whose horizontal length could possibly be up to 1 km. The understanding of these features allows system limitations to be estimated quantitatively and opens up the way to their constructive tactical use. The results are applicable to many systems from towed array sonars to high-frequency bathymetric sidescan and minehunting.     

水下声成像中旁瓣抑制方法及其实验研究

提出了一种近场条件下采用不等间隔阵并进行孔径变迹处理的水下声成像旁瓣抑制方法,并进行了理论和实验研究。考虑以球面波传播理论为基础的聚焦波束形成,首先通过阵元位置微调,设计了可实现低旁瓣的不等间隔阵,从单程波束响应上降低旁瓣;然后,将孔径变迹处理方法应用于水下声成像中,全部阵元用于接收,部分阵元用于发射,从双程波束响应上进一步降低旁瓣。通过水池实验对所提出的方法进行了验证。结果表明:采用不等间隔阵并进行孔径变迹处理可以更为有效地降低旁瓣,而主瓣仅有小量展宽,且该方法工程应用简便易行,在改善成像质量的同时降低了系统复杂度。      

Frequency-tunable, high-power microwave emission from cyclotronautoresonance maser oscillation and gyrotron interactions

The authors report experimental observations of high-power microwave emission from both the high-frequency cyclotron autoresonance maser (CARM) oscillation and the low-frequency gyrotron interaction. High-power (3-10 MW) microwave emission is attributed to the CARM mechanism, which is magnetically tunable through discrete axial cavity modes from 15 through 16.7 GHz. For the same experimental parameters, megawatt-level microwave emission is observed, which is magnetically tunable from 10 through 14 GHz, indicating low-frequency gyrotron oscillation. High-frequency microwave pulse-lengths of up to 0.2 μs have been generated, which is a factor of five greater than those achieved in previous CARM experiments     

Possibility of controlled ejection of ferrofluid grains from a magnetically ordered ferrofluid using high frequency non-linear acoustic pulses – a particle dynamical study

We consider a model dilute ferrofluid that is subjected to a strong, homogeneous magnetic field directed perpendicular to the surface of the ferrofluid, such that there is a chain formation in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the liquid. We study the propagation of impulses generated at high-frequency across finite times through the ferrofluid chains. Our numerical analysis shows that a very high-frequency sequence of non-linear acoustic pulses of appropriate magnitudes, initiated at the base of the container, can lead to the ejection of desired number of ferrofluid grains through the liquid–air interface. The proposed mechanism, if successfully realized in the laboratory, could help design a nozzle-free, ultrafast, ink-jet printer of unparalleled resolution.     

Schlieren成像和声场可视化

Schlieren技术是利用声场引起透明媒质光折射率的变化而实现声场可视化的光学成像技术。它具有对声场无干扰、快速、瞬态成像的特点。本文利用二维光学Fourier变换分析了Schlieren技术的成像原理,在采用连续激光和高速ICCD的Schlieren成像系统中,实验研究了平面波声场和线聚焦声场中换能器光学校准方法和声压的定量检测技术。发展声场瞬态和动态成像技术,观测了声波的聚焦过程和固-液界面的声场分布和变化。这些结果表明Schlieren技术是一种有效的声场可视化和定量检测的光学成像技术。