Impulse backscattering in granular beds: Introducing a toy model (original) (raw)

Detection of shallow inclusions in closed-packed granular beds using mechanical impulses

Applied Physics Letters, 2007

Mechanical energy has been used in the detection of shallow buried objects in granular beds for more than half a century. Here we attempt to answer a fundamental question-at what depths would an object be detectable in an idealized, close-packed, granular bed made of monosized elastic spheres? Systematic particle dynamics based studies reveal the effects of varying the area across which the impulse is generated, object size, and restitution on locating the buried object.

Imaging of Buried Objects from Experimental Backscattering Time-Dependent Measurements Using a Globally Convergent Inverse Algorithm

SIAM Journal on Imaging Sciences, 2015

We consider the problem of imaging of objects buried under the ground using experimental backscattering time-dependent measurements generated by a single point source or one incident plane wave. In particular, we estimate dielectric constants of these objects using the globally convergent inverse algorithm of Beilina and Klibanov. Our algorithm is tested on experimental data collected using a microwave scattering facility at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. There are two main challenges in working with this type of experimental data: (i) there is a huge misfit between these data and computationally simulated data, and (ii) the signals scattered from the targets may overlap with and be dominated by the reflection from the ground's surface. To overcome these two challenges, we propose new data preprocessing steps to make the experimental data look similar to the simulated data, as well as to remove the reflection from the ground's surface. Results of a total of 25 data sets of both nonblind and blind targets indicate good accuracy.

Measurements and Simulations of Wave Propagation in Agitated Granular Beds

AIP Conference Proceedings, 2004

Wave propagation in a granular bed is a complicated, highly nonlinear phenomenon. Yet studies of wave propagation provide important information on the characteristics of these materials. Fundamental nonlinearities of the bed include those in the particle contact model and the fact that there exists zero applied force when grains are out of contact. The experimental work of Liu and Nagel showed the strong dependence of wave propagation on the forming and breaking of particle chains. As a result of the nonlinearities, anomalous behavior such as solitary waves and sonic vacuum have been predicted by Nesterenko. In the present work we examine wave propagation in a granular bed subjected to vertical agitation. The agitation produces continual adjustment of force chains in the bed. Wave propagation speed and attenuation measurements were made for such a system for a range of frequencies considerably higher than that used for the agitation. Both laboratory experiments and simulations (using a two-dimensional, discrete soft-particle model) have been used. The present paper is a progress report on the simulations.

Surface-wave Analyses in Unconsolidated Granular Models with Increasing Degrees of Complexity

Proceedings 76th EAGE Conference and Exhibition Workshops, 2014

Using micrometric glass beads, we build small scale physical models with increasing degrees of complexity in order to address theoretical and methodological issues of seismic methods (velocity gradients, lateral variations, pore overpressure, etc.). We simulate seismic records at the surface of the laboratory models thanks to a mechanical source and a laser-Doppler vibrometer. From recorded seismograms, we are able to invert surface-wave dispersion for one or two-dimensional velocity structures. These experiments are for instance used as benchmarks for processing and inversion techniques, enable the validation of numerical methods, or make it possible to study issues related to pore fluids.

Sound scattering in dense granular media

Chinese Science Bulletin, 2009

Sound scattering at fluid-fluid rough surface Science in China Series G-Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy 51, 72 (2008); On the reconstruction of media inhomogeneity by inverse wave scattering model

Passive correlation imaging of a buried scatterer

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2006

Waveforms obtained by correlation of diffuse fields are now widely used to estimate times of flight and ballistic Green's functions. Theory, however, predicts that such passively obtained waveforms should equal the full Green function of a medium, and thereby convey information on the details of a structure and the presence of isolated scatterers. Here we investigate diffuse field correlations in a reverberant elastic body and demonstrate that their shear and Rayleigh waves allow us to image internal and surface features. Resolution in the resulting images is comparable to standard medical and seismic images.

Scattering of Solitary Waves from Interfaces in Granular Media

Physical Review Letters, 2005

A detailed numerical study of the scattering of solitary waves by a barrier, in a granular media with Hertzian contact, shows the existence of secondary multipulse structures generated at the interface of two "sonic vacua", which have a similar structure as the one previously found by Nesterenko and coworkers.