Delay and Doppler spreads in underwater acoustic particle velocity channels

Abstract

Signal processing and communication in acoustic particle velocity channels using vector sensors are of interest in the underwater medium. Due to the presence of multiple propagation paths, a mobile receiver collects the signal with different delays and Doppler shifts. This introduces certain delay and Doppler spreads in particle velocity channels. In this paper, these channel spreads are characterized using the zero-crossing rates of channel responses in frequency and time domain. Useful expressions for delay and Doppler spreads are derived in terms of the key channel parameters mean angle of arrival and angle spread. These results are needed for design and performance prediction of systems that utilize underwater acoustic particle velocity and pressure channels.