Green’s function is a mathematical function which acts as the solution to an inhomogeneous wave

equation for harmonic sources. It is used in situations where the region of space we would like to
describe an acoustic disturbance contains acoustic energy.

Radiating dipoles are composed of two monopoles which are radiating the same sound power and
vibrating with the same frequency 180 degrees out of phase

The directivity factor describes the ratio of acoustic pressure (or sound intensity) at a distance r and
an angle theta from a radiation sound source to the acoustic pressure (or sound intensity) of the
source at the same distance r and radiating with the same power.

The radiation ratio is described as the sound power radiation of an arbitrary structure vibrating into
the fluid half-space divided by the sound power radiation of a large piston (ka>>1) that has the same
surface area and is vibrating with the same rms velocity as the structure.

The four parameters used to describe the wave equations for a homogenous, lossless medium are:

1. Acoustic pressure – This is the acoustic pressure amplitude at a point in the medium
(instantaneous pressure) minus the static pressure P0.
2. Acoustic velocity – the speed of sound in the medium
3. Particle displacement amplitude – this is the displacement of constant volume wave
particles from their equilibrium position as the wave travels through the medium
4. Density change/Condensation – this the comparison of the instantaneous density of the fluid
medium to the constant equilibrium density of the medium
a. S = (rho-rho_0)/rho_0

The boundary conditions for transmission through a partition are:

1. Continuity of pressure – there is a continuity of pressure in that the incident pressure is

equal to the sum of the pressure transmitted through the partition and the pressure
reflected off the surface, i.e., the pressure on both sides of the boundary are equal. This can
only be facilitated when there is zero net force on the plane separating the 2 media.
2. Continuity of velocity – there is a constant velocity of the sound wave which can only take
place when the surface of the fluid and the solid partition are always in contact

Fluid loading has two main effect:

1. Fluid mass loading – changes the natural frequency of the system

2. Acoustic radiation dampening – changes the radiation characteristics of the system
Mechanical impedance is defined as the applied force divided by the resulting velocity due to that
force

Radiation impedance is defined as the ratio of the acoustic pressure to the rate of displacement of
fluid volume

Radiation impedance is made up of two components:

1. Radiation resistance – this can be described as the friction forces which tend to dampen out
vibration in a system. This component provides a means of removing energy from the
system. This additional energy is radiated away from the acoustic field.
2. Radiation reactance – this component is created when a mass and an elastic stiffness are
added to the system. This creates a means of storing energy in the system.

Transmission loss is the loss of sound intensity of a sound wave as it is transmitted through a
partition.

Reverberant fields are sound fields which are created due to multiple reflections of sound waves
from surface to surface, with absorption occurring at each surface. In this field, the sound pressure
at any point is greater than it would be in an open space at the same distance from the source.

Direct fields are sound fields in which the sound pressure reaches a point directly from the source.

Diffuse fields are sound fields in which the sound waves travel uniformly in all directions.

Reverberation time is the amount of time taken for the sound intensity to fall to 60 dB of its initial
value.

Group velocity is the rate at which energy in a wave is transported through a medium. This is
especially important for diffuse waves as we can see that the group velocity is different from the
phase velocity.

The principle of superposition operates on the idea that a vibrating surface can be thought of as a
number of individual, elementary sound sources, each vibrating with a certain sound intensity. The
principle states that the total sound radiation being emitted from that surface is equal to the sum of
the radiation being emitted from each individual source (monopole).