Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
An efficient approach to computing third- order scattering of sound by sound with application to parametric arrays
Abstract:
A mathematical description of third-order scattered sound fields is derived using a multi-Gaussian beam (MGB) model that describes the sound field of any arbitrary axially symmetric beam as a series of Gaussian base functions. The third-order intermodulation (IM3) frequency components are produced by considering the cascaded nonlinear secondorder effects when analyzing the interaction between the firstand second-order frequency components during the nonlinear scattering of sound by sound from two noncollinear ultrasonic baffled piston sources. The theory is extended to the modeling of the sound beams generated by parametric transducer arrays, showing that the MGB model can be efficiently used to calculate both the second- and third-order sound fields of the array. Measurements are presented for the IM3 frequency components and parametric array sound fields and comparisons of the model are made with traditional simulation results from direct numerical integration.
Related Concept Videos
Echo
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case,...
Sound Waves: Interference
Interference: Path Lengths
Two special sources may be considered when they are in phase. This can be easily achieved by feeding the two sources from the same source. An example would be synchronizing the two speakers by feeding them with the same source, such as the sound waves produced by a tuning fork. This setup ensures that the two sources have the same frequency and are...
Sound as Pressure Waves
The pressure fluctuation depends on the difference in displacements between the successive points in the...
Sound Waves
Sound waves are longitudinal in most fluids because fluids cannot sustain any lateral pressure. In solids, however, shear forces help in propagating the disturbance in the lateral direction as well....
Interference and Diffraction

