Effects of wave shape, rise time, and duration on subjective response to sonic booms.

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify the subjective response of people to sonic booms having different pressure signatures. The objectives were to (1) determine the effects of wave shape, rise time, and duration on subjective response; (2) assess the ability of different noise metrics to predict subjective response; and (3) compare ‘‘loudness’’ and ‘‘annoyance’’ as subjective response descriptors. The experiment was conducted in a computer-controlled, man-rated sonic boom simulator capable of reproducing user-specified pressure signatures for a wide range of sonic boom parameters. One-hundred fifty sonic booms, representing different combinations of two wave shapes, four rise times, seven durations, and three levels, were presented to each of 72 test subjects. One-half of the subjects made judgments of ‘‘loudness’’ while the other half judged ‘‘annoyance.’’ Analyses of the judgments examine the effects on annoyance and loudness of wave shape, rise time, duration, and level. The ability of different noise metrics to predict annoyance and loudness is also examined.