Distributed Acoustic Sensing Signal Model Under Static Fiber Conditions

Abstract

This paper presents a statistical model for distributed acoustic sensor interrogation units that utilizes laser pulses transmitted into fiber optics. Interactions within the fiber lead to localized acoustic energy, resulting in backscatter, which is a reflection of the light. Explicit equations were used to calculate the amplitudes and phases of backscattered signals. The proposed model accurately predicts the amplitude signal spectrum and autocorrelation, aligning well with experimental observations. This study also explores the phase signal characteristics relevant to optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) system sensing applications, demonstrating consistency with the experimental results. The experiments were conducted using Python coding, enabling the analysis of the individual components of the Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system. The assumptions of the model include the static condition of the fiber, implying the absence of external forces or vibrations. Consequently, no external acoustic disturbances were considered. The backscattered signal comprises a random noise component resulting from intrinsic fiber imperfections, and a coherent component arising from the interplay between the laser pulse and the fiber. Keywords: distributed acoustic sensing, fiber optics, optical time-domain reflectometry, Rayleigh scattering.