Meridional ray contributions to scattering by tilted cylindrical shells above the coincidence frequency: ray theory and computations

Abstract

High-frequency scattering enhancements from a submerged infinite cylindrical shell are studied by means of partial wave series (PWS) calculations and a ray approximation. For certain oblique angles of incidence it is possible to launch a generalized leaky Lamb wave which propagates strictly in the axial direction on the shell. This meridional leaky wave radiates with a locally flat wavefront curvature and produces large far-field amplitudes over a range of tilt angles. When combined with a reflection from a discontinuity in the shell, this process can give rise to large backscattering enhancements at large tilt angles for thick finite cylindrical shells [S. F. Morse et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 785–794 (1998)] and is present in sonar images. A convolution formulation ray theory for the far-field meridional ray amplitude is compared with the exact PWS solution in the region where enhancements are observed for both the a0 and s0 Lamb waves. The ray theory correctly predicts both the peak enhancement amplitude and the general shape of the enhancement curve.