Acoustic Wave Propagation Research Articles

Evaluation Method for Underwater Ultrasonic Energy Radiation Performance Based on the Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Acoustic Power.

In recent years, underwater wireless ultrasonic energy transmission technology (UWUET) has attracted much attention because it utilizes the propagation characteristics of ultrasound in water. Effectively evaluating the performance of underwater ultrasonic wireless energy transmission is a key issue in engineering design. The current approach to performance evaluation is usually based on the system energy transfer efficiency as the main criterion, but this criterion mainly considers the overall energy conversion efficiency between the transmitting end and the receiving end, without an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the distribution of the underwater acoustic field and the energy loss that occurs during the propagation of acoustic waves. In addition, existing methods focusing on acoustic field analysis tend to concentrate on a single parameter, ignoring the dynamic distribution of acoustic energy in complex aquatic environments, as well as the effects of changes in the underwater environment on acoustic propagation, such as spatial variability in temperature and salinity. These limitations reduce the usefulness and accuracy of models in complex marine environments, which in turn reduces the efficiency of acoustic energy management and optimization. To solve these problems, this study proposes a method to evaluate the performance of underwater ultrasonic energy radiation based on the spatial distribution characteristics of acoustic power. By establishing an acoustic power distribution model in a complex impedance-density aqueous medium and combining numerical simulation and experimental validation, this paper explores the spatial variation of acoustic power and its impact on the energy transfer efficiency in depth. Using high-resolution spatial distribution data and actual environmental parameters, the method significantly improves the accuracy of the assessment and the adaptability of the model in complex underwater environments. The results show that, compared with the traditional method, this method performs better in terms of the accuracy of the acoustic energy radiation calculation results, and is able to reflect the energy distribution and spatial heterogeneity of the acoustic source more comprehensively, which provides an important theoretical basis and practical guidance for the optimal design and performance enhancement of the underwater ultrasonic wireless energy transmission system.

A study on attenuation patterns of acoustic waves in waveguide structures with flexural boundaries

This research article investigates the attenuation patterns of acoustic waves within waveguide structures featuring flexural boundaries. By employing advanced methods in vibrations and controls, the study aims to enhance our understanding of waveguide behavior and offer valuable insights for optimizing acoustic wave propagation in diverse applications. The entire waveguide structure is tuned through cooperative interactions involving elastic plates, membranes, and rigid boundary surfaces. The lower boundary of the expansion chamber consists of a rigid plate, with elastic membranes covering the upper surfaces of the cavity. The problem is formulated in terms of transmission and reflection coefficients of the modes, enabling the solution of the scattering problem. Matching acoustic pressure and velocity at the waveguide junction yields the scattering coefficients. The results reveal that the scattering coefficients are intricately influenced by both the geometric characteristics of the waveguide and the frequency of the incident waves. Notably, the first higher-order mode of the cut-off frequency of the waveguide structure corresponds to the frequency at which the dissipation coefficient reaches its maximum value. This research provides valuable insights into the scattering behavior of acoustic waves in waveguide configurations, contributing to the design of acoustic devices and systems. Rigorous support and justification for all aspects of the mode-matching method, including pressure and velocity matching, eigen properties, physical edge conditions, convergence criteria, and energy conservation, are provided through thorough algebraic and numerical analyses, confirming the validity of the solution methodology.

Qualitative analysis and new exact solutions for the extended space-fractional stochastic (3 + 1)-dimensional Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation

In this paper, the extended (3 + 1)-dimensional Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation, which describes the propagation of ion-acoustic waves in a magnetic environment, is investigated. Due to the exposure of the propagation to unpredictable factors, the stochastic model is assessed including the Brownian process, in addition to including the recent concept of truncated M-fractional derivative. A fractional stochastic transformation is applied to transform the model into an integer-order ordinary differential equation which in turn is equivalent to a conservative Hamiltonian model. Novel solutions, such as hyperbolic, trigonometric, and Jacobian elliptic functions, are established by employing both of the qualitative analysis of dynamical systems and the first integral of the Hamiltonian model. We explore and graphically display the effects of the fractional derivative order and noise intensity on the solutions structures. In the deterministic instance, i.e. in the absence of noise, solitary and cnoidal solutions among other traveling wave solutions of the Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation, are derived. Further, it is found that the curvature of the wave disturbs and the surface turns substantially flat by increasing the value of noise. While the curve in all cases loses its characteristic shape and degenerates into another deterministic shape by changing the fractional derivative order.

A Platinum-Protein hybrid nanostructure enables both targeted cancer theragnosis and platinum clearance

Considering the fundamental advantages of photothermal therapy (PTT) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) of cancer such as precise spatiotemporal control-based, non-invasive therapy with negligible drug resistance and side effects and sensitive, specific diagnosis with high spatial resolution at substantial depth, an advanced, or clinically feasible material that enables both PTT and PAI surely needs to be developed but remains a major challenge yet. Here we developed a hybrid nanostructure (PtNC@ABP-HBVC) between plasmonic platinum nanocluster (PtNC) comprised of many tiny Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs, ∼ 3 nm that is small enough to pass through glomerular filtration in kidney) and a specially designed protein scaffold (ABP-HBVC) capable of binding to human serum albumin (HSA). PtNC is beneficial for efficient light-to-heat conversion and acoustic wave generation due to plasmonic coupling effect among the small PtNPs, and the HSA binding to ABP-HBVC significantly lowers immunogenicity and enables PtNC to be effectively delivered to tumor. Using human breast cancer-bearing xenograft mice, we demostrated that PtNC@ABP-HBVC has the superior efficacy in targeted cancer theragnosis (PTT + PAI) and is rapidly cleared from the body through urinary excretion, which shows its great potential as a promising, clinically attractive agent for cancer theragnosis.

Nonplanar ion acoustic waves in e-p-i plasmas with non-Maxwellian distributed electrons and positrons

The process of propagation of cylindrical and spherical ion acoustic solitary waves in an electron, positron, and ion plasma system is studied. The electrons are considered to have the generalized (r, q) distribution, while the positrons are supposed to have the kappa distribution, also known as the Lorentzian distribution. The classic nonlinear equation, Korteweg de-Vries (KdV), has been numerically solved by employing appropriate mathematical transformations. The role of various plasma parameters and nonplanar geometry on the widths and amplitudes of nonlinear ion acoustic structures has been numerically investigated. The current study could be helpful to understand the significance of cylindrical and spherical solitary waves in laboratory, astrophysical as well as in space plasmas.

Vortex-induced noise suppression of a cylinder with blowing through porous media

To mitigate vortex shedding for flow and noise control of a circular cylinder, an experimental approach combining air blowing and porous coating was implemented simultaneously as a hybrid method. Localized air blowing was symmetrically applied through structured porous media at four angles, corresponding to different regions of the flow field: boundary layers, shear layers on the cylinder, separated shear layers, and the cylinder's base. The study involved synchronizing near-field pressure fluctuation and far-field noise measurements with flow field measurements obtained via particle image velocimetry. Near-field pressure measurements were taken around the cylinder's circumference using a remote sensing method. This comprehensive investigation revealed that vortex shedding primarily induced pressure fluctuations at the cylinder's shoulders, resulting in the propagation of acoustic waves to the far field. The hybrid method, alongside the separate application of porous coating and local blowing, showcased substantial efficacy in mitigating near-field pressure, consequently leading to a reduction in far-field noise. These techniques achieved this by strategically shifting the vortex formation region further downstream and expanding the wake region compared to the baseline. Notably, the hybrid method, particularly when local blowing was applied at the base of the porous coated cylinder, exhibited a significantly enhanced impact in this regard, resembling the behavior observed with the individual application of porous coating.

Numerical simulation of acoustic waves propagation by finite element method based on optimized matrices

Abstract Based on the wave equation, scholars worldwide have proposed various methods for numerical simulation of seismic wave propagation in underground and surface media. The finite element method offers a unique advantage in accurately depicting the undulating surfaces and steep palaeoburial hills with its triangular mesh. However, its computational efficiency cannot meet our needs while lots of memories are occupied. To address this, we optimized and improved the critical Mass matrix and Stiffness matrix of spatial discretization of the acoustic wave equation. We first fully utilized the flexibility of triangles to fit different undulating terrains, then reorganized the numbering of triangle mesh nodes and elements to reduce the bandwidth of the matrices, and then used optimized matrices for solving. The Crank-Nicolson scheme was adopted for time discretization, and the Perfectly Matched Layer condition was utilized to eliminate false waves reflected from the boundary. The numerical experiments with simple and significant fluctuation models proved that this method can accelerate computational efficiency while ensuring computational accuracy.

Material Damping Estimation within Low-, Medium- and High-Frequency Ranges

When considering the dynamic response of mechanical systems, material damping is a main factor to account for. It largely affects phenomena at different time scales, from the transient response of the system, to its modal response, up to the acoustic wave propagation within the bulk and at the contact interfaces. Nevertheless, despite the key role of the material damping in the mechanical response, its estimation within a wide frequency range is still a challenge, when considering the existing technics. Moreover, the material damping varies largely with respect to frequency and the actual approaches for its estimation are limited within restricted frequency ranges. An approach for estimating the material damping within the overall frequency range does not exist in the literature. This paper proposes an approach where structural and acoustic technics are combined with an energy statistical approach, for identifying the trend of material damping within a larger frequency range. The approach is here applied to polycarbonate (PC) material. The results highlighted that the material damping in the low–medium frequency range (1[Formula: see text]Hz-several kHz) fits with the Rayleigh damping model. On the other hand, the damping in the higher frequency range (106 Hz) showed a stabilization with the increase of the frequency.

A novel hybrid SBM-MFS methodology for acoustic wave propagation problems

In this paper, a novel hybrid meshless approach that combines the singular boundary method (SBM) and the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) to deal with two-dimensional (2D) exterior acoustic wave propagation problems is proposed and studied. The methodology is particularly devised to solve problems with complex boundary geometries containing geometric singularities such as corners and sharp edges. It employs the SBM to model intricate segments of these geometries and the MFS for the smooth ones. The proposed hybrid SBM-MFS method is studied in a 2D context in the framework of three benchmark examples involving acoustic radiation problems of circular-, square- and L-shaped objects in a full-space acoustic medium. In addition, the applicability of the proposed hybrid SBM-MFS methodology to predict the acoustic performance of a T-shaped thin barrier is also investigated. These examples are specifically designed to assess the feasibility, validity and accuracy of the hybrid SBM-MFS approach in comparison with the available analytical solutions and alternative numerical strategies such as the MFS, the SBM and the boundary element method (BEM). Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed method can match the level of accuracy of the MFS while keeps the robustness of the SBM when dealing with complex geometries, overcoming one the most important drawbacks of the traditional MFS. Moreover, the proposed hybrid SBM-MFS naturally avoids the non-uniqueness problem arising at the fictitious eigenfrequencies associated with the corresponding interior problems, a feature that neither the SBM nor the BEM inherently possesses.

Simulating time-harmonic acoustic wave effects induced by periodic holes/inclusions on surfaces

This paper introduces a localized meshless method to analyze time-harmonic acoustic wave propagation on curved surfaces with periodic holes/inclusions. In particular, the generalized finite difference method is used as a localized meshless technique to discretize the surface gradient and Laplace-Beltrami operators defined extrinsically in the governing equations. An absorbing boundary condition is introduced to reduce reflections from boundaries and accurately simulate wave propagation on unclosed surfaces with periodic inclusions. Several benchmark examples demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method in simulating acoustic wave propagation on surfaces with diverse geometries, including complex shapes and periodic holes or inclusions.

Ion acoustic solitary waves in an adiabatic dusty plasma: Roles of superthermal electrons, ion loss and ionization

Abstract The propagation of dust ion acoustic solitary wave (DIASW) is investigated in the multicomponent dusty plasma with adiabatic ions, superthermal electrons and stationary dust. The reductive perturbation method is employed to derive the damped Korteweg-de Vries (DKdV) equation which describes DIASW. The result reveals that, the adiabaticity of ions significantly modifies the basic features of the DIASW. The ionization effect makes the solitary wave growing, while collisions reduce the growth rate and even lead to the damping. With the increase in ionization cross section $\frac{{\Delta \sigma }}{{{\sigma _0}}}$, ion-to-electron density ratio ${{\delta}_{\rm{ie}}}$ and superthermal electrons parameter $\kappa $, the effect of ionization on DIASW enhances.

Earthquake source impacts on the generation and propagation of seismic infrasound to the upper atmosphere

SUMMARY Earthquakes with moment magnitude (Mw) ranging from 6.5 to 7.0 have been observed to generate sufficiently strong acoustic waves (AWs) in the upper atmosphere. These AWs are detectable in Global Navigation Satellite System satellite signals-based total electron content (TEC) observations in the ionosphere at altitudes ∼250–300 km. However, the specific earthquake source parameters that influence the detectability and characteristics of AWs are not comprehensively understood. Here, we extend our approach of coupled earthquake-atmosphere dynamics modelling by combing dynamic rupture and seismic wave propagation simulations with 2-D and 3-D atmospheric numerical models, to investigate how the characteristics of earthquakes impact the generation and propagation of AWs. We developed a set of idealized dynamic rupture models varying faulting types and fault sizes, hypocentral depths and stress drops. We focus on earthquakes of Mw 6.0–6.5, which are considered the smallest detectable with TEC, and find that the resulting AWs undergo non-linear evolution and form acoustic shock N waves reaching thermosphere at ∼90–140 km. The results reveal that the magnitude of the earthquakes is not the sole or primary factor determining the amplitudes of AWs in the upper atmosphere. Instead, various earthquake source characteristics, including the direction of rupture propagation, the polarity of seismic wave imprints on the surface, earthquake mechanism, stress drop and radiated energy, significantly influence the amplitudes and periods of AWs. The simulation results are also compared with observed TEC fluctuations from AWs generated by the 2023 Mw 6.2 Suzu (Japan) earthquake, finding preliminary agreement in terms of model-predicted signal periods and amplitudes. Understanding these nuanced relationships between earthquake source parameters and AW characteristics is essential for refining our ability to detect and interpret AW signals in the ionosphere.

Acoustic wave propagation and scattering in visco-acoustic medium: Integral equation representation and De Wolf approximation

A visco-acoustic medium is an approximate representation of the absorption and attenuation characteristics of the actual earth medium, which will cause energy attenuation and velocity dispersion of seismic waves. The propagation law of scattered waves in viscoelastic media can be revealed through seismic wave forward simulation. However, the numerical simulation of scattered waves in a visco-acoustic medium using the De Wolf approximation method based on the Lippmann-Schwingr (L-S) equation has not been studied. Therefore, based on the Futterman dispersion relation, the mathematical expression of the integral equation of acoustic wave propagation and scattering in the visco-acoustic medium is derived. We combine the De Wolf approximation with the quality factor Q. The thin slab approximation and screen approximation methods are two realizations of the De Wolf approximation. The thin slab approximation and the screen approximation continuation operator in the viscous-acoustic medium are constructed and applied to the numerical simulation of the scattered wave field. The research results of the concave model and complex model indicate that due to the influence of medium viscosity, the energy of the deep reflected waves is weaker in the forward modeling records of the thin slab approximation method and screen approximation method, and the dominant frequency of seismic waves moves towards the low-frequency direction; Compared with the finite difference results, they only calculate one reflection, and there are no multiple wave signals in the seismic records. Finally, We discuss the thin slab approximation and the screen approximation method for detail around the division of the thickness of the thin slab, the selection of the reference frequency, and the non-uniformity of the medium.

Theoretical and numerical study on transient acoustic wave propagation across ice layers in the Arctic Ocean.

The study of transient acoustic wave propagation across the Arctic Ocean ice layer provides theoretical guidance for the design of trans-ice acoustic communication systems. In this study, the Arctic Ocean was modeled as an ice-water composite structure, where the ice and water are regarded as an elastic solid and liquid, respectively. An analytical transient solution for acoustic wave propagation in this structure was derived using the eigenfunction expansion method. Further, the numerical procedures were presented and used to analyze the acoustic wave propagation characteristics across the ice layer. The results show that waveforms corresponding to the radial displacements are more severely distorted than the axial displacements. The amplitudes of the radial and axial displacements decreased rapidly with increasing propagation distance. The ice thickness had a greater impact on the radial displacement than axial displacement; the thicker the ice, the greater the distortion for both radial and axial displacements.

Propagation of Acoustic Waves in a Moving Monodispersed Gas Suspension

Propagation of Acoustic Waves in a Moving Monodispersed Gas Suspension

Towards an understanding of the mechanisms of therapeutic ultrasound on biomimetic models of cancer

Therapeutic ultrasound is transforming the treatment of a range of malignancies in a non-invasive and non-systemic manner. Low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) has been proposed to selectively eradicate cancer cells but the underlying biological mechanisms remains unknown. To gain an understanding of this phenomenon, 2D breast cancer monocultures were sonicated at varying acoustic intensities (0.1–0.5 W·cm−2) and excitation times (1–10 minutes). Additionally, 2D monocultures consisting of healthy cell lines were sonicated at varying acoustic intensities (0.1–0.5 W·cm−2) to determine any distinguishing biological responses. To begin recapitulating in vivo conditions, breast cancer cells were also seeded into 3D collagen hydrogels. At a 1 MHz frequency, 20% duty cycle, 100 Hz pulse repetition frequency, a significant drop in cancer cell viability is observed at a sonication intensity of 0.5 W·cm−2 and over 10 minute excitation time. Healthy counterparts subjected to the same parameters revealed no distinguishing effects. Sonication of breast cancer cells seeded in 3D collagen hydrogels revealed no effect in cell viability compared to non-sonicated controls. The acoustic wave propagation software OptimUS was used to determine the influence culturing plates have on ultrasound propagation, revealing these materials can significantly vary the acoustic field at frequencies relevant to LIUS.

Pseudomagnetic fields in bilayer phononic crystals

Pseudomagnetic field (PMF), as an artificial gauge field, has attracted widespread attention in the exploration of magnetic-like effects in artificial structural materials. It offers a novel mechanism for manipulating wave fields in classical wave systems where there is no or weak response to actual magnetic fields. In this work, we construct acoustic PMFs in bilayer phononic crystals by imposing uniaxial linear gradient strain on the scatterers of both layers. Under the PMFs, the linear nodal rings, occurring at around the K and points of the bilayer phononic crystals, split into acoustics Landau levels (LLs). Specifically, the n = 0 plateau of the LLs splits into two discrete ones due to the interlayer coupling. Furthermore, we construct two heterostructures by splicing two phononic crystals with opposite PMFs and observe unique in-plane snake-like propagations of the edge state as well as oscillations between the upper and lower layers. Bilayer structure provides additional degree of freedom to generate PMFs in various types of semimetals and enriches the manipulation of acoustic wave propagations. In addition, it can be extended to other classical wave systems, such as electromagnetic wave and mechanical systems.

Anti-scattering propagation in multiple-bend valley phononic crystals

Valley topological phononic crystals (PCs) have attracted wide attention due to the topological properties of their edge states. In general, valley interface states can exist in the interfaces that are constructed by opposite valley topological phases. Here we study the anti-scattering propagation properties of edge states in a single valley PC. We present that the edge states can exist in different boundary terminations with different band dispersions. The boundary transport behaviors of acoustic waves along the two designed PCs are demonstrated numerically. The results show that the chiral edge states are immune against additional scatterers that preserve the valley pseudospins, but the backscattering can happen when intervalley scattering is included. Nevertheless, the anti-scattering propagation in complex multiple-bend structures can be realized by the smooth transition between the edge states and the valley interface states. Similar to the designed frequency-selective device, more prospective applications can be anticipated in the manipulation of acoustic wave propagation.

A nonlocal photoacoustic effect with variable thermal conductivity of semiconductor material subjected to laser heat source

This study explores the behavior of laser-exposed photo-excited carriers, investigating the propagation of photoacoustic waves in the thermoelastic domain. It also delves into the theoretical generation of surface acoustic waves in semiconductors through photo-thermoelastic processes. The research considers the interaction between thermomechanical and acoustic waves in a nonlocal medium with temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. Unlike relying on electron–phonon or electron-hole thermalization processes, photoacoustic waves here result from thermoelastic stress induced by the laser-induced temperature increase. The investigation accounts for the optical, mechanical, and thermoelastic properties of nanoscale semiconductor materials. Predictions of photoacoustic signals are derived by solving a combined thermal diffusion issue and a thermoelastic problem, using Laplace and Fourier transforms in the mathematical model. Numerical solutions encompass various physical fields within the time domain using the inversion technique of Laplace and Fourier transforms, such as thermal, acoustic, mechanical, and carrier density diffusion. The study evaluates and compares the influences of thermal memory and thermal conductivity presenting visual representations.

Effect of Signal Features and Model Variables on Energy-Traced Arrival Time Picking of Acoustic Signals Used for Structural Damage Detection

To monitor damage developments in structures, various structural health monitoring methods based on different principles are used. The common aspect of elastic wave-based methods is to place appropriate sensors on the structure, to detect acoustic wave propagation and to analyze these signals the sensors transformed. The arrival time of these recorded signals to the sensors is the most significant parameter used to determine critical information such as the time and location of the damage. Therefore, the accurate calculation of the arrival time affects the accuracy of the damage detection. In this study, effects of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), sampling frequency, length of the signal, and length of the focal window on determining the arrival time of the signals to the sensors were investigated. For this purpose, an energy-traced arrival time picking approach (Akaike Information Criterion, AIC), which is the frequently used method in the literature, has been applied to a typical acoustic signal originated from a concrete cracking. The results of the study suggest the necessity of noise elimination, the optimum level of data logging and the ratios of focal window lengths for accurate time of arrival detection in the field monitoring of the structures using acoustic methods.