Method of numerical Green's function determination for far-field scattering solutions from objects at a water-sediment interface

Validation and verification of three-dimensional finite element target scattering models and Green's functions

A configurable three-dimensional (3D) finite element framework is used for modeling acoustic scattering from various elastic targets on seabed and for the numerical determination of Green's functions used in far-field target scattering prediction. The 3D selection is chosen for possible inclusion of complex seafloor geometries, such as rough, rippled, cluttered, or variably layered seabeds, in which two-dimensional modeling approaches cannot capture the full acoustic interaction with the target and the seabed. Model results are verified and validated against analytic scattering theories and measured results from the 2013 Target and Reverberation Experiment (TREX) and the 2017 CLUTTEREX experiment.

Analytical solution for acoustic radiation force on a sphere near a planar boundary

Acoustic radiation force on a sphere in an inviscid fluid near a planar boundary, which may be rigid or pressure release, is calculated using spherical wave functions to expand the total pressure field. The condition at the boundary is satisfied with the addition of a reflected wave and an image sphere. The total pressure field, which is exact in the linear approximation, is composed of the incident field, the reflected field, and the scattered fields due to the physical sphere and the image sphere. The expansion coefficients for the pressure field are used to evaluate the acoustic radiation force on the sphere using a known analytical expression obtained from integration of the radiation stress tensor. Calculations illustrate the influence of multiple scattering effects on the radiation force acting on the sphere. The model applies to compressible and elastic spheres and for any incident field structure. An approximation is introduced that extends the analytical model to other types of interfaces, including a fluid-fluid interface. The analytical model is validated by comparisons with an independent finite element model.