Space-time and frequency-phase stability of the acoustic field in the underwater sound channel

Abstract

The space-time and frequency-phase stability of the acoustic field is studied for the case of long-range propagation in the underwater sound channel. The possibility of splitting the field components produced by the Doppler effect in the total interference structure of a monochromatic signal is revealed for different ranges, parameters of the channel inhomogeneities, and frequencies. The experiments are performed in summertime in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, near the Kamchatka Peninsula, on a path of 2100 km. Highly stable sound sources with resonant frequencies of 230 and 380 Hz are used for the measurements. The sources are towed at a depth of 70 m with a speed of 5–6 knots. To receive the signal near the channel axis, a bottom-moored (at a depth of 200 m) stationary system is used. The width of the sound beams is studied, and the broadening limits of the frequency spectra are estimated for the coherent and incoherent field components in the case of super-long-range sound propagation. The phase velocities of the split components are determined.