Acoustic Gaps Research Articles

Design and optimization of an opto-acoustic sensor based on porous silicon phoxonic crystals

We present the theoretical study of an opto-acoustic microdevice, a phoxonic crystal, made of porous silicon with a specific acoustic response in the range of tens of MHz and optical response in the visible and near-infrared range. We propose to control the opto-acoustic response of this device by spatially modulating the microstructure porosity. Based on this study, a multilayer microcavity is designed to have a strong coupling between the acoustic and optical response. The coupling mechanism is generated by exploiting the structural resonance due to the acoustic waves which produce maximum mechanical strains at the center of the cavity. The associated mechanical deformations of the central cavity change the optical response of the multilayer, allowing the mechanical response to be detected using optical techniques. In a phoxonic crystal, the acoustic and optic central gap frequencies are determined by the multilayer configuration which imposes a fixed relation between both resonant frequencies. This feature establishes a challenge for the microdevice design. To mitigate this problem, two microcavities, one inside the other in a matryoshka-like configuration is here proposed, placing an optical microcavity into the spacer of an acoustic microcavity. Consequently, the localized acoustic field generates a high perturbation of the optical microcavity structure. The optical microcavity is tuned at near-infrared frequencies, while the larger acoustic microcavity resonates at acoustic frequencies of the order of tens of MHz. The microdevice is designed to display a high optical response induced by acoustic deformation. Optical sensitivity to this effect is used to design a multiparametric sensor. Thanks to the porous structure of the device, it is possible to build a transducer sensitive to the presence of analytes in the environment that affect both its mechanical and optical response.

Analysing detection gaps in acoustic telemetry data to infer differential movement patterns in fish.

A wide array of technologies are available for gaining insight into the movement of wild aquatic animals. Although acoustic telemetry can lack the fine‐scale spatial resolution of some satellite tracking technologies, the substantially longer battery life can yield important long‐term data on individual behavior and movement for low per‐unit cost. Typically, however, receiver arrays are designed to maximize spatial coverage at the cost of positional accuracy leading to potentially longer detection gaps as individuals move out of range between monitored locations. This is particularly true when these technologies are deployed to monitor species in hard‐to‐access locations.Here, we develop a novel approach to analyzing acoustic telemetry data, using the timing and duration of gaps between animal detections to infer different behaviors. Using the durations between detections at the same and different receiver locations (i.e., detection gaps), we classify behaviors into “restricted” or potential wider “out‐of‐range” movements synonymous with longer distance dispersal. We apply this method to investigate spatial and temporal segregation of inferred movement patterns in two sympatric species of reef shark within a large, remote, marine protected area (MPA). Response variables were generated using network analysis, and drivers of these movements were identified using generalized linear mixed models and multimodel inference.Species, diel period, and season were significant predictors of “out‐of‐range” movements. Silvertip sharks were overall more likely to undertake “out‐of‐range” movements, compared with gray reef sharks, indicating spatial segregation, and corroborating previous stable isotope work between these two species. High individual variability in “out‐of‐range” movements in both species was also identified.We present a novel gap analysis of telemetry data to help infer differential movement and space use patterns where acoustic coverage is imperfect and other tracking methods are impractical at scale. In remote locations, inference may be the best available tool and this approach shows that acoustic telemetry gap analysis can be used for comparative studies in fish ecology, or combined with other research techniques to better understand functional mechanisms driving behavior.

Graphene-Based One-Dimensional Terahertz Phononic Crystal: Band Structures and Surface Modes.

In this paper, we provide a theoretical and numerical study of the acoustic properties of infinite and semi-infinite superlattices made out of graphene-semiconductor bilayers. In addition to the band structure, we emphasize the existence and behavior of localized and resonant acoustic modes associated with the free surface of such structures. These modes are polarized in the sagittal plane, defined by the incident wavevector and the normal to the layers. The surface modes are obtained from the peaks of the density of states, either inside the bulk bands or inside the minigaps of the superlattice. In these structures, the two directions of vibrations (longitudinal and transverse) are coupled giving rise to two bulk bands associated with the two polarizations of the waves. The creation of the free surface of the superlattice induces true surface localized modes inside the terahertz acoustic forbidden gaps, but also pseudo-surface modes which appear as well-defined resonances inside the allowed bands of the superlattice. Despite the low thickness of the graphene layer, and though graphene is a gapless material, when it is inserted periodically in a semiconductor, it allows the opening of wide gaps for all values of the wave vector (parallel to the interfaces). Numerical illustrations of the band structures and surface modes are given for graphene-Si superlattices, and the surface layer can be either Si or graphene. These surface acoustic modes can be used to realize liquid or bio-sensors graphene-based phononic crystal operating in the THz frequency domain.

Phonon-mediated lipid raft formation in biological membranes

Short-wavelength collective molecular motions, also known as phonons, have recently attracted much interest in revealing dynamic properties of biological membranes through the use of neutron and X-ray scattering, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and molecular dynamics simulations. Experimentally detecting unique vibrational patterns such as, shear phonon excitations, viscoelastic crossovers, transverse acoustic phonon gaps, and continuous and truncated optical phonon modes in cellular membranes, to name a few, has proven non-trivial. Here, we review recent advances in liquid thermodynamics that have resulted in the development of the phonon theory of liquids. The theory has important predictions regarding the shear vibrational spectra of fluids, namely the emergence of viscoelastic crossovers and transverse acoustic phonon gaps. Furthermore, we show that these vibrational patterns are common in soft (non-crystalline) materials, including, but not limited to liquids, colloids, liquid crystals (mesogens), block copolymers, and biological membranes. The existence of viscoelastic crossovers and acoustic phonon gaps define the self-diffusion properties of cellular membranes and provide a molecular picture of the transient nature of lipid rafts (Bolmatov et al., 2020). Importantly, the timescales (picoseconds) for the formation and dissolution of transient lipid rafts match the lifetime of the formation and breakdown of interfacial water hydrogen bonds. Apart from acoustic propagating phonon modes, biological membranes can also support more energetic non-propagating optical phonon excitations, also known as standing waves or breathing modes. Importantly, optical phonons can be truncated due to the existence of finite size nanodomains made up of strongly correlated lipid–cholesterol molecular pairs. These strongly coupled molecular pairs can serve as nucleation centers for the formation of stable rafts at larger length scales, due to correlations of spontaneous fluctuations (Onsager's regression hypothesis). Finally and importantly, molecular level viscoelastic crossovers, acoustic phonon gaps, and continuous and truncated optical phonon modes may offer insights as to how lipid–lipid and lipid–protein interactions enable biological function.

Loss of Cochlear Ribbon Synapse Is a Critical Contributor to Chronic Salicylate Sodium Treatment-Induced Tinnitus without Change Hearing Threshold.

Tinnitus is a common auditory disease worldwide; it is estimated that more than 10% of all individuals experience this hearing disorder during their lifetime. Tinnitus is sometimes accompanied by hearing loss. However, hearing loss is not acquired in some other tinnitus generations. In this study, we injected adult rats with salicylate sodium (SS) (200 mg/kg/day for 10 days) and found no significant hearing threshold changes at 2, 4, 8, 12, 14, 16, 20, or 24 kHz (all p > 0.05). Tinnitus was confirmed in the treated rats via Behaviour Testing of Acoustic Startle Response (ASR) and Gap Prepulse Inhibition Test of Acoustic Startle Reflex (GPIAS). A immunostaining study showed that there is significant loss of anti-CtBP2 puncta (a marker of cochlear inner hair cell (HC) ribbon synapses) in treated animals in apical, middle, and basal turns (all p < 0.05). The ABR wave I amplitudes were significantly reduced at 4, 8, 12, 14, 16, and 20 kHz (all p < 0.05). No significant losses of outer HCs, inner HCs, or HC cilia were observed (all p > 0.05). Thus, our study suggests that loss of cochlear inner HC ribbon synapse after SS exposure is a contributor to the development of tinnitus without changing hearing threshold.

Case study: Evaluation of noise reduction in frequencies and sound reduction index of construction with variable noise isolation

Intense sound levels produced by engineering equipment have become an acute issue. As most of engineering equipment require air supply, exhaust and good ventilation, it is not possible to control the noise by covering them with tight hoods. Louver with blades covered with acoustic materials and gaps that enable free circu- lation of air are used to this end. Three louver configurations were tested in the semi-anechoic chamber: bare metal louver blades, louver with blades covered with 20-mm-thick polystyrene foam slabs on both sides, and louver with blades covered with 15-mm-thick glass wool slab. According to the test results, louver with blades covered with glass wool slab demonstrated the best noise attenuation characteristics. The reduction of equiv- alent sound pressure level subject to blade inclination angle was from 10.8 to 12.5 dB. Sound pressure level reduction by louver with blades covered with poly- styrene foam slabs was weaker: the reduction of equivalent sound pressure level was from 5.4 to 8.4 dB. Louver with blades not covered with any acoustic material demonstrated the least noise attenuation result from 1.9 to 3.9 dB

Modelling the dynamics of acoustic gaps between speakers during business-to-business sales calls

The value of conversation intelligence in deepening the insights of authentic conversations is a common ground nowadays between researchers and the business community. The rapid development of big data algorithms and technology enables massive amounts of data and meta-data processing, including content, vocal features and body gestures. This study is based on 358 business-to-business (B2B) sales calls at the discovery stage. We propose a model to capture the dynamics of acoustic gaps between the sales representatives and customers by relying solely on the acoustic signal. We extract basic features from the acoustic signal: speech proportion, fundamental frequency (F0), intensity, harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR), jitter and shimmer. We focus on the differences between the four speakers' role-gender groups (e.g., female-representative with female-customer). We found significant differences in the behavioural patterns of the dynamics between these four groups. The study demonstrates that using delta metrics to assess the interactions leads to new insights.

Modelling the dynamics of acoustic gaps between speakers during business-to-business sales calls

Modelling the dynamics of acoustic gaps between speakers during business-to-business sales calls

Bubbly Water as a Natural Metamaterial of Negative Bulk-Modulus

In this study, an oscillator model of bubble-in-water is proposed to analyze the effective modulus of low-concentration bubbly water. We show that in a wide range of wave frequency the bubbly water acquires a negative effective modulus, while the effective density of the medium is still positive. These two properties imply the existence of a wide acoustic gap in which the propagation of acoustic waves in this medium is prohibited. The dispersion relation for the acoustic modes in this medium follows Lorentz type dispersion, which is of the same form as that of the phonon-polariton in an ionic crystal. Numerical results of the gap edge frequencies and the dispersion relation in the long-wavelength regime based on this effective theory are consistent with the sonic band results calculated with the plane-wave expansion method (PWEM). Our theory provides a simple mechanism for explaining the long-wavelength behavior of the bubbly water medium. Therefore, phenomena such as the high attenuation rate of sound or acoustic Anderson localization in bubbly water can be understood more intuitively. The effects of damping are also briefly discussed. This effective modulus theory may be generalized and applied to other bubble-in-soft-medium type sonic systems.

New acoustic parameter characterizing loading history effects

Abstract A new parameter of acoustic emission (TAE) is proposed, which determines the period of acoustic gap before the final fracture under tension of specimens of low- and medium-carbon steels after preliminary cyclic loading. The beginning of the acoustic gap period TAE corresponds to the achievement of the maximum load. TAE increases with the number of cycles of pre-cycling loading, the fracture magnitude and material strength; as the amplitude of the preliminary cyclic loading increases, it decreases. Values of the bAE and the total number of acoustic signals ΣNAE are estimated and the changes of these characteristics at various tension stages are considered. It is shown that the beginning of the plateau in the time dependence of the total number of acoustic signals is accompanied by a sharp decrease in the bAE-value.

Control of thermal conductivity with species mass in transition-metal dichalcogenides

In this paper, we examine how the behaviour of the thermal conductivity of bulk and monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides XY2 in their 2-H form can be controlled with different choices of cation and anion masses. We employ a semi-ab-initio approach, which combines first-principles phonon eigensolutions, the elastic anharmonic Hamiltonian for phonon-phonon interactions, a quasi-harmonic scheme for the temperature-dependent Grüneisen's constant, and a relaxation-time solution of the Boltzmann transport equation. Our results confirm an earlier finding [Gu and Yang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 131903 (2014)] that the thermal conductivity of 2-H MoS2 is lower than that of 2-H WS2 contrary to what would be expected from the relative masses of Mo and W and the relative stiffnesses of both compounds. In addition to confirming this anomaly as a result of the larger acoustic optical gap of WS2 relative to that of MoS2, it is found that where one constituent species is fixed, more profound changes on the thermal conductivity occur for different anion masses than for different cation masses. We explain how these behaviours arise from the dispersion relations of each compound and the anharmonic interactions of phonon modes, and its connection with the relative masses of the constituent species. This finding provides useful insight into which 2-H dichalcogenides might be suitable for which thermal applications.

The Acoustic Gap as a Diagnostic Sign of Prefracture

The relation between the acoustic-gap period observed during the tension of previously loaded samples from steels 20 and 45 and the plastic-deformation work (the fracture magnitude) estimated from the area under the strain curve is established. It is shown that the gap period increases with the relative life.

Quantitative investigations on thermal response of adipose tissue to focused ultrasonic energy

Thermal responses of adipose tissue to high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) were quantitatively evaluated for effective clinical lipolysis. A single-element HIFU transducer (4 MHz and 4.5 mm focal depth) was used in a linear motion to thermally treat the tissue at various acoustic energy densities and treatment gaps. Both interstitial temperature rise and denatured lesions increased with the energy density (up to 21.1 ± 1.9 K and 0.40 ± 0.15 mm2). No thermal overlapping was observed due to selective application of the ultrasonic beams. The optimization of noninvasive HIFU treatment parameters may ensure clinical outcomes of HIFU-assisted lipolysis in terms of efficacy and safety.

Deleting the HCN1 Subunit of Hyperpolarization-Activated Ion Channels in Mice Impairs Acoustic Startle Reflexes, Gap Detection, and Spatial Localization

It has been proposed that the high temporal and spatial acuities of human listeners and animals tested in the hearing laboratory depend in part on the short time constants of auditory neurons that are able to preserve or sharpen the information conveyed in the timing of firing of auditory nerve fibers. We tested this hypothesis in a series of in vivo experiments, based on previous in vitro experiments showing that neuronal time constants are raised in brainstem slices when HCN1 channels are blocked or in slices obtained from Hcn1 -/- null mutant mice. We compared Hcn1 -/- and Hcn1 +/+ mice on auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and behavioral measures. Those measures included temporal integration for acoustic startle responses (ASRs), ASR depression by noise offset, and ASR inhibition by gaps in noise and by shifts of a noise source along the azimuth as measures of temporal and spatial acuity. Hcn1 -/- mice had less sensitive ABR thresholds at 32 and 48kHz. Their wavelet P1b was delayed, and wave 2 was absent in the 16kHz/90 SPL waveform, indicating that groups of neurons early in the auditory pathways were delayed and fired asynchronously. Baseline ASR levels were lower in Hcn1 -/- mice, temporal integration was delayed, time constants for ASR depression by noise offset were higher, and their sensitivity to brief gaps and spatial acuity was diminished. HCN1 channels are also present in vestibular, cutaneous, digestive, and cardiac neurons that variously may contribute to the deficits in spatial acuity and possibly in ASR levels.

Sound Transmission Through a Double-Wall Structure Coupled with Two Trapezoidal Acoustic Cavities

This paper aims at investigating the sound transmission mechanism of a flexibly-linked finite length double-wall structure. The problem stems from the modeling of sound transmission through corrugated core sandwich panels for predicting its transmission loss. The spatial segmentation of the acoustic gap and fully structure-acoustic coupling effect between the flexural vibration of the inclined mechanical link and the two adjacent trapezoidal acoustic cavities are considered. The theoretical model of the considered vibro-acoustic system is developed by using the modal superposition method in conjunction with envelope rectangular technique. Based on the developed theoretical model, the general vibro-acoustics characteristics of the system is presented. Particularly by using the [Formula: see text] mode of the acoustic cavity and the first structural modal frequency, the ratio between the aerostatic stiffness and the structural stiffness is formulated, and a criterion is proposed to determine whether the sound insulation performance of the vibro-acoustic system is controlled mainly by the structure or the acoustic cavity. Numerical investigations reveal that with different stiffness ratio, the acoustic cavity affects the sound transmission through both the added stiffness and added mass following different mechanisms. Besides, the influence of the inclined angle of the connecting beam on sound insulation performance of the double-wall structure is also studied. The obtained results are believed to be helpful in the optimal design of corrugated core sandwich panels for sound insulation.

Transmission and radiation of acoustic oblique incident through tube arrays based on phononic crystals theory

In a utility boiler, the heat exchanger’s structure is similar to a two-dimensional phononic crystal. Based on the phononic crystal theory, this paper studies sound propagation through tube arrays as a function of the incident sound direction and the surroundings temperature. We carried out both the computational and experimental work for particular values of the pitch and diameters in the tube arrays and studied the band-gap diagram and insertion loss spectra for different angles of incidence. The first band gap is found to correspond to Bragg’s Law while the second band gap moves to lower frequencies as the angle increases. Simulations indicate also that the uneven temperature field influences the insertion loss spectrum. Results of experiments and calculations confirm that, for a particular tube array, the most important factors influencing sound propagation are incidence angle and the surrounding temperature. For the acoustic source in tube arrays, the acoustic radiation have relation with the frequency whether in the acoustic bang gap or not. The results should provide a basis for further work: both on sound source localization and low frequency sonic cleaning in large tube arrays.

Difference in electrodynamic transduction between speaker and alternator in thermoacoustic applications.

Conventional reciprocating pistons, normally found in thermoacoustic engines, tend to introduce complex impedance characteristics, including acoustic, mechanical, and electrical portions. System behavior and performance usually rely on proper tuning processes and selection of an optimal point of operation, affected substantially by complementary hardware, typically adjusted for the specific application. The present study proposes an alternative perspective on the alternator behavior, by considering the relative motion between gas and piston during the engine mode of operation. Direct analytical derivation of the velocity distribution inside a tight seal gap and the associated impedance is employed to estimate the electro-acoustic conversion efficiency, thus indicating how to improve the system performance. The influence of acoustic phase, gap dimensions, and working conditions is examined, suggesting the need to develop tighter and longer seal gaps, having increased impedance, to allow optimization for use in upcoming sustainable power generation solutions and smart grids.

An acoustic gap between the NICU and womb: a potential risk for compromised neuroplasticity of the auditory system in preterm infants.

The intrauterine environment allows the fetus to begin hearing low-frequency sounds in a protected fashion, ensuring initial optimal development of the peripheral and central auditory system. However, the auditory nursery provided by the womb vanishes once the preterm newborn enters the high-frequency (HF) noisy environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The present article draws a concerning line between auditory system development and HF noise in the NICU, which we argue is not necessarily conducive to fostering this development. Overexposure to HF noise during critical periods disrupts the functional organization of auditory cortical circuits. As a result, we theorize that the ability to tune out noise and extract acoustic information in a noisy environment may be impaired, leading to increased risks for a variety of auditory, language, and attention disorders. Additionally, HF noise in the NICU often masks human speech sounds, further limiting quality exposure to linguistic stimuli. Understanding the impact of the sound environment on the developing auditory system is an important first step in meeting the developmental demands of preterm newborns undergoing intensive care.

Transmission of Terahertz Acoustic Waves through Graphene-Semiconductor Layered Structures

We present a theoretical study of the acoustic properties of graphene-semiconductor layered structures. The transmission coefficient for longitudinal acoustic waves through the structure is evaluated by using the usual transfer matrix method. We find that the finite thickness of the graphene layer can affect significantly the transmission spectrum of the proposed structure. The features of the sound transmittance depend strongly on the number of the graphene layers. For mul-ti-layer graphene-semiconductor structures, the sound transmission spectrum looks very similar to that for an ideal superlattice. For such structures, terahertz acoustic forbidden gap can be observed even when a thick semiconductor layer is considered. These results are the consequence of the Bragg’s condition for sound waves. This study is relevant to the exploration of the acoustic properties of graphene-based layered structures and to the application of graphene as high-frequency acoustic devices.

Size and Shape Dependence of the Vibrational Spectrum and Low-Temperature Specific Heat of Au Nanoparticles

The vibrational spectra of metal nanoparticles are a signature of their structures and determine the low-temperature behavior of their thermal properties. In this work, we report a theoretical study on the size evolution of the vibrational spectrum and density of states (VDOS) of Au nanoparticles in the range of 1–4 nm. Our study focuses on truncated octahedral (FCC), decahedral, and icosahedral nanoparticles. The structural optimization was performed through atomistic simulations using molecular dynamics and the many-body Gupta potential, whereas the vibrational frequency spectrum was obtained within the harmonic approximation through a diagonalization of the dynamical matrix. The calculated frequency spectra are discrete, have a finite acoustic gap (lowest frequency value), and extend up to a maximum frequency in the range of ∼140–185 cm–1, depending on the nanoparticle morphology. The VDOS evolves from a multiple-peak line shape for small sizes to a characteristic profile for the larger nanoparticles t...