The influence of mode coupling on waveguide invariant

Abstract

The waveguide invariant β is typically discussed in terms of either a range-independent environment or a range-dependent environment under the adiabatic approximation, with few studies considering the effects of mode coupling. In this work, how internal solitary waves (ISWs) affect the waveguide invariant is investigated, and it is shown that mode-coupling effects introduce many additional components in the acoustic interference intensity. It is found that the striation slope and value of β for these additional components are determined not only by the acoustic modal dispersion, but are also dependent on the position where the mode coupling occurs. This can lead to a very complicated acoustic interference pattern and result in multiple peaks in the distribution of β. The sensitivity of β to the parameters of ISWs, such as amplitude, horizontal scale, and position, is analyzed. It is found that although all parameters can affect the energy of the peaks, only the position of the internal wave has an obvious impact on the peak values. This indicates that the peak values of β can be utilized for monitoring the position of the internal wave.