B. M. Salin

Experimental studies of sound diffraction by moving inhomogeneities under shallow-water conditions

The experimental data on the sound propagation and diffraction by moving test inhomogeneities under lake conditions are presented. It is shown that the diffracted signals under multimode propagation are adequately described by simplified theoretical models proposed earlier. The detection of the diffracted signals against the background of a fluctuating direct signal is demonstrated for the reception by a horizontal or vertical array. It is also shown that the direct and diffracted signals observed in the lake are similar in their characteristics to the signals in a shallow sea, which allows one to use the lake experiment for testing various underwater acoustic techniques intended for shallow-sea conditions.

Comparative analysis of tomographic methods for the observation of inhomogeneities in a shallow sea

Several procedures are proposed that allow one to determine the parameters of motion of an inhomogeneity crossing the propagation path between a source of an acoustic signal and a receiving array without the use of any detailed description of the medium (the sound velocity profile, the bottom parameters, etc.). The potentialities and characteristic features of the proposed approach are analyzed within the framework of a one-dimensional waveguide propagation model. A comparative analysis of the reliability of inhomogeneity observations is performed on the basis of a representative experimental data set obtained from a lake experiment for the cases of using the procedures of coherent space-time processing of signals in antenna arrays and the procedures with a spatial and temporal incoherent accumulation.

Calculation of the reverberation spectrum for Doppler-based sonar

For monostatic sonar using long pulsed tone signals, the problem of evaluating the spectrum of reverberation due to sound wave scattering by a rough sea surface is solved. Relatively simple computational schemes are proposed, which make it possible (i) to transform the three-dimensional spectra of surface waves to the frequency-angular characteristics of reverberation and (ii) to choose the optimal operating frequency band for a Doppler sonar from the point of view of reverberation. For typical wind wave characteristics measured in shallow water areas, the spectral levels of reverberation are estimated in the frequency band of acoustic signals within 0.4–2 kHz.

Methods for calculating low-frequency surface reverberation at known sea roughness characteristics

The problem of estimating the parameters of a reverberation signal generated due to scattering of acoustic waves on a rough surface is considered for a bistatic localization scheme using the example of tone and tone-pulse signals. Relatively simple calculation schemes that make it possible to recalculate three-dimensional space-time roughness spectra into angular-frequency reverberation characteristics and determine the positions of the surface regions that mainly contribute to the integral reverberation level are found. A reverberation spectrum is calculated for the wind waves typical for shallow-water closed basins, and the positions of the scattering regions forming the components of this spectrum are determined.

Effects of localization of the areas of sound scattering by surface wind waves

Experimental studies of the scattering of a monochromatic sound signal by a rough sea surface are carried out. The signal is produced by a point source in a shallow-water basin. The measurements are performed with the use of horizontal and vertical linear receiving arrays. The experimental data are compared with the estimates obtained on the basis of the model developed by the authors for resonant sound scattering by surface roughness. A satisfactory agreement between the experiments and the calculations is achieved. It is shown that the scattered signal is formed within small surface areas, whose sizes have the same order of magnitude as the first Fresnel zone with respect to the source and the receiving system.

COMBINED METHOD FOR MEASURING 3D WAVE SPECTRA. I. ALGORITHMS TO TRANSFORM THE OPTICAL-BRIGHTNESS FIELD INTO THE WAVE-HEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

Optical instruments for measuring surface-wave characteristics provide a better spatial and temporal resolution than other methods, but they face difficulties while converting the results of indirect measurements into absolute levels of the waves. We have solved this problem to some extent. In this paper, we propose an optical method for measuring the 3D power spectral density of the surface waves and spatio-temporal samples of the wave profiles. The method involves, first, synchronous recording of the brightness field over a patch of a rough surface and measurement of surface oscillations at one or more points and, second, filtering of the spatial image spectrum. Filter parameters are chosen to maximize the correlation of the surface oscillations recovered and measured at one or two points. In addition to the measurement procedure, the paper provides experimental results of measuring multidimensional spectra of roughness, which generally agree with theoretical expectations and the results of other authors. Index terms – directional spectrum, geophysical signal processing, image processing, optical measurement of surface roughness, video processing, wave number spectrum, wind-generated waves.

Azimuthal dependence of reverberation from a harmonic signal propagating in shallow water

The problem of scattering from a rough sea surface is considered for a harmonic low-frequency (200–400 Hz) acoustic signal propagating in a shallow water area. An experimental study of the azimuthal reverberation dependence is carried out on the basis of the bistatic location scheme with the use of linear phased arrays. By comparison with calculations, the formation of the frequency-angular characteristics of reverberation is investigated for various wind directions with respect to the path of acoustic signal propagation.

Determination of the mode composition of the sound field with a single-point reception in a shallow sea

A possibility of determining the mode composition of the sound field in a shallow sea is considered. The procedure involves the transmission of a short pulse by a point source and the subsequent reception of this pulse at a single point. It is shown that the problem can be solved by using linearly frequency-modulated broadband pulses at relatively short distances (about 20 km), where the attenuation of the signal is rather weak. To take into account the intramode dispersion, it is proposed to use the value of the dispersion typical of a perfect Pekeris waveguide with a stiff bottom. With the use of the calculations and the experimental data obtained in the Barents Sea, it is shown that the proposed approximation is sufficient to determine the mode composition of the sound field.

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.

Numerical simulation of Bragg scattering of sound by surface roughness for different values of the Rayleigh parameter

Numerical simulation methods are described for the spectral characteristics of an acoustic signal scattered by multiscale surface waves. The methods include the algorithms for calculating the scattered field by the Kirchhoff method and with the use of an integral equation, as well as the algorithms of surface waves generation with allowance for nonlinear hydrodynamic effects. The paper focuses on studying the spectrum of Bragg scattering caused by surface waves whose frequency exceeds the fundamental low-frequency component of the surface waves by several octaves. The spectrum broadening of the backscattered signal is estimated. The possibility of extending the range of applicability of the computing method developed under small perturbation conditions to cases characterized by a Rayleigh parameter of ≥1 is estimated.