A comparison of measured room acoustics metrics using a spherical microphone array and conventional methods

The traditional microphone configuration used to measure room impulse responses (IRs) according to ISO 3382:2009 is an omnidirectional and figure-8 microphone pair. IRs measurements were taken in a 2500-seat auditorium to determine how the results from a spherical microphone array (an mh acoustics Eigenmike-em32) compare to those from the traditional microphone setup (a Brüel & Kjær Type-4192 omnidirectional microphone and a Sennheiser MKH30 figure-8 microphone). Measurements were obtained at six receiver locations, with three repetitions each in order to first evaluate repeatability. The metrics considered in this study were: reverberation time (T30), early decay time (EDT), clarity index (C80), strength (G), lateral energy fraction (J_LF) and late lateral energy level (L_J). Before calculating these quantities, the IRs were filtered to equalize the frequency response of the microphones and sound source. For the spherical array measurements, the omnidirectional (monopole) and figure-8 (dipole) patterns were extracted using beamforming. In terms of repeatability, the average standard deviation of the three measurements at each receiver location averaged across all metrics, receivers, and octave bands was found to be 0.01 just noticeable differences (JNDs). The analysis comparing the measurements from the two microphone configurations yielded differences which were less than 1 JND for the majority of metrics, with a few exceptions of EDT and C80 slightly above 1 JND. Based on this case study, these results indicate that spherical microphone arrays can be used to obtain valid room IR measurements, which will allow for the development of new metrics utilizing the higher spatial resolution made possible with spherical arrays.     

Local Thermodynamic Description of Isothermal Single-Phase Flow in Simple Porous Media

Transport in Porous Media - Darcy’s law for porous media transport is given a new local thermodynamic basis in terms of the grand potential of confined fluids. The local effective pressure...     

A Bayesian approach to seafloor classification using multi-beam echo-sounder backscatter data

Seafloor classification using acoustic remote sensing techniques is an attractive approach due to its high-coverage capabilities and limited costs. The multi-beam echo-sounder (MBES) system provides high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter information with 100% coverage. In this paper, we present a seafloor classification method that employs the MBES backscatter data. The method uses the averaged backscatter data per beam. It, therefore, is independent on the quality of the MBES calibration. Also, its performance is insensitive to seafloor type variation along the MBES swathe and corrections for the angular dependence of the backscatter are not needed. The method accounts for the ping-to-ping variability of the backscatter intensity. It estimates both the number of seafloor types present in the survey area and the probability density function for the backscatter strength at a certain angle for each of the seafloor types. Application of the method to MBES backscatter data acquired in a well-known test area in the North Sea shows very good agreement with available ground truth. The method’s discriminatory performance for this area is demonstrated to be comparable to that of taking samples of the sediment. All seafloor types known to be present in the area are resolved for. Application of the method to the Stanton bank data set shows clearly separable areas that differ in seafloor composition.     

A multigrid method with unstructured adaptive grids for steady Euler equations

The multigrid method based on multi-stage Jacobi relaxation, earlier developed by the authors for structured grid calculations with Euler equations, is extended to unstructured grid applications. The meshes are generated with Delaunay triangulation algorithms and are adapted to the flow solution.     

Audiogram of a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)

The underwater hearing sensitivity of a striped dolphin was measured in a pool using standard psycho-acoustic techniques. The go/no-go response paradigm and up-down staircase psychometric method were used. Auditory sensitivity was measured by using 12 narrow-band frequency-modulated signals having center frequencies between 0.5 and 160 kHz. The 50% detection threshold was determined for each frequency. The resulting audiogram for this animal was U-shaped, with hearing capabilities from 0.5 to 160 kHz (8 1/3 oct). Maximum sensitivity (42 dB re 1 microPa) occurred at 64 kHz. The range of most sensitive hearing (defined as the frequency range with sensitivities within 10 dB of maximum sensitivity) was from 29 to 123 kHz (approximately 2 oct). The animal's hearing became less sensitive below 32 kHz and above 120 kHz. Sensitivity decreased by about 8 dB per octave below 1 kHz and fell sharply at a rate of about 390 dB per octave above 140 kHz.     

Hidden conic quadratic representation of some nonconvex quadratic optimization problems

The problem of minimizing a quadratic objective function subject to one or two quadratic constraints is known to have a hidden convexity property, even when the quadratic forms are indefinite. The equivalent convex problem is a semidefinite one, and the equivalence is based on the celebrated S-lemma. In this paper, we show that when the quadratic forms are simultaneously diagonalizable (SD), it is possible to derive an equivalent convex problem, which is a conic quadratic (CQ) one, and as such is significantly more tractable than a semidefinite problem. The SD condition holds for free for many problems arising in applications, in particular, when deriving robust counterparts of quadratic, or conic quadratic, constraints affected by implementation error. The proof of the hidden CQ property is constructive and does not rely on the S-lemma. This fact may be significant in discovering hidden convexity in some nonquadratic problems.     

Absorption and emission spectroscopic characterisation of combined wildtype LOV1-LOV2 domain of phot from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

An absorption and emission spectroscopic characterisation of the combined wild-type LOV1-LOV2 domain string (abbreviated LOV1/2) of phot from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is carried out at pH 8. A LOV1/2-MBP fusion protein (MBP=maltose binding protein) and LOV1/2 with a His-tag at the C-terminus (LOV1/2-His) expressed in an Escherichia coli strain are investigated. Blue-light photo-excitation generates a non-fluorescent intermediate photoproduct (flavin-C(4a)-cysteinyl adduct with absorption peak at 390 nm). The photo-cycle dynamics is studied by dark-state absorption and fluorescence measurement, by following the temporal absorption and emission changes under blue and violet light exposure, and by measuring the temporal absorption and fluorescence recovery after light exposure. The fluorescence quantum yield, phi(F), of the dark adapted samples is phi(F)(LOV1/2-His) approximately 0.15 and phi(F)(LOV1/2-MBP) approximately 0.17. A bi-exponential absorption recovery after light exposure with a fast (in the several 10-s range) and a slow component (in the near 10-min range) are resolved. The quantum yield of photo-adduct formation, phi(Ad), is extracted from excitation intensity dependent absorption measurements. It decreases somewhat with rising excitation intensity. The behaviour of the combined wildtype LOV1-LOV2 double domains is compared with the behaviour of the separate LOV1 and LOV2 domains.     

Receiving beam patterns in the horizontal plane of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Receiving beam patterns of a harbor porpoise were measured in the horizontal plane, using narrow-band frequency modulated signals with center frequencies of 16, 64, and 100 kHz. Total signal duration was 1000 ms, including a 200 ms rise time and 300 ms fall time. The harbor porpoise was trained to participate in a psychophysical test and stationed itself horizontally in a specific direction in the center of a 16-m-diameter circle consisting of 16 equally-spaced underwater transducers. The animal's head and the transducers were in the same horizontal plane, 1.5 m below the water surface. The go/no-go response paradigm was used; the animal left the listening station when it heard a sound signal. The method of constants was applied. For each transducer the 50% detection threshold amplitude was determined in 16 trials per amplitude, for each of the three frequencies. The beam patterns were not symmetrical with respect to the midline of the animal's body, but had a deflection of 3-7 degrees to the right. The receiving beam pattern narrowed with increasing frequency. Assuming that the pattern is rotation-symmetrical according to an average of the horizontal beam pattern halves, the receiving directivity indices are 4.3 at 16 kHz, 6.0 at 64 kHz, and 11.7 dB at 100 kHz. The receiving directivity indices of the porpoise were lower than those measured for bottlenose dolphins. This means that harbor porpoises have wider receiving beam patterns than bottlenose dolphins for the same frequencies. Directivity of hearing improves the signal-to-noise ratio and thus is a tool for a better detection of certain signals in a given ambient noise condition.     

Rotationally resolved absorption cross sections of formaldehyde in the 28100-28500 cm(-1) (351-356 nm) spectral region: implications for in situ LIF measurements

The rotationally resolved ultraviolet absorption cross sections for the 2(0)(0)4(1)(0) vibrational band of the A(1)A(2)-X(1)A(1) electronic transition of formaldehyde (HCHO) at an apodized resolution of 0.027 cm(-1) (approximately 0.0003 nm at 352 nm) over the spectral range 28100-28500 cm(-1) (351-356 nm) at 298 and 220 K, using Fourier transform spectroscopy, are first reported here. Accurate rotationally resolved cross sections are important for the development of in situ HCHO laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) instruments and for atmospheric monitoring. Pressure dependence of the cross sections between 75 and 400 Torr at 298 K was explored, and an average pressure broadening coefficient in dry air of 1.8 x 10(-4) cm(-1) Torr(-1) for several isolated lines is reported. Gaseous HCHO was quantitatively introduced into a flow cell by evaporating micron-sized droplets of HCHO solution, using a novel microinjector technique. The condensed-phase concentrations of HCHO were determined by iodometric titrations to an accuracy of <1%. Accuracy of the measured absorption cross sections is estimated to be better than +/-5%. Integrated and differential cross sections over the entire band at low resolution (approximately 1 cm(-1)) obtained with our calibration technique are in excellent agreement with previous measurements. A maximum differential cross section of 5.7 x 10(-19) cm(2) molecule(-1) was observed at high resolution-almost an order of magnitude greater than any previously reported data at low resolution.