Validity of a modified Born approximation for a pulsed plane wave in acoustic scattering problems

Area of Science:

• Acoustics
• Wave Scattering
• Computational Physics

Background:

• The Born approximation (BA) is widely used in acoustic scattering problems.
• Understanding the validity domain of approximations is crucial for accurate modeling.
• Pulsed plane wave (PPW) scattering requires robust approximation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity domain of a modified Born approximation (MBA).
• To compare MBA with exact results and conventional Born approximation (BA).
• To assess performance for forward and backward scattering of pulsed plane waves by a homogeneous sphere.

Main Methods:

• Scattering of a pulsed plane wave (PPW) by a homogeneous sphere was analyzed.
• Modified Born Approximation (MBA) was developed and compared to conventional Born Approximation (BA).
• Error charts were generated for varying scatterer sizes, acoustic properties, and pulse widths.

Main Results:

• The modified Born approximation (MBA) demonstrates superior performance over the conventional Born Approximation (BA) in the forward scattering direction.
• For backward scattering, both MBA and BA exhibit comparable validity domains.
• The pulse width was found to influence the accuracy of both approximations.

Conclusions:

• The modified Born approximation (MBA) offers an improved approach for forward acoustic scattering problems.
• The findings provide essential insights into the applicability of Born approximations in acoustics.
• This research contributes to more accurate computational modeling of acoustic wave interactions.