Diffraction of sound by a rigid screen with an absorbent edge

Abstract

A solution is obtained for the problem of diffraction of a plane wave sound source by a semi-infinite plane. A finite region in the vicinity of the edge has an impedance boundary condition; the remaining part of the half plane is rigid. The problem which is solved is a mathematical model for a rigid barrier with an absorbing edge. It is found that the absorbing material that comprises the edge need only be of the order of a wavelength long to have approximately the same effect on the sound attenuation in the shadow region of the barrier as a semi-infinite absorbent barrier. Also the softer the absorbent lining the greater the attenuation in the shadow of the barrier. In the illuminated region a reduction in the sound intensity level can be achieved by a suitable choice of the absorptive material of the strip and its length. It is found that the effect of the absorptive strip is lost if its length is less than two wavelengths long. For a strip length of six wavelengths or more the system is equivalent to an absorbing half plane.