The exact response of a two-dimensional flat-layered medium to a probing pulse: An application to a layer stripping reconstruction procedure

Abstract

We consider a simple model problem that can be found in many fields of application such as, for example, reflection seismology. That is we consider an initial boundary value problem on a half-plane for a class of two-dimensional wave equations with a piecewise-constant coefficient. This coefficient describes the flat layered medium under consideration. An initial pulse located on the boundary of the half-plane is used to probe the medium. An integral representation of the solution of this problem is obtained by studying the spectral measures of some differential operators in one variable. This integral representation is exploited to obtain an ‘explicit’ formula for the solution of the problem considered evaluated at the location of the probing pulse. This ‘explicit’ formula is exploited to reconstruct the structure of the medium from its response to a probing pulse via a layer stripping procedure. Some numerical results obtained with this procedure on test problems are shown. The ‘explicit’ formula obtained can be used in several other contexts such as, for example, the study of perturbed flat layered media or the study of random flat layered media.