Acoustic Scattering Models from Rough Surfaces: A Brief Review and Recent Advances

Abstract

This paper proposes a brief review of acoustic wave scattering models from rough surfaces. This review is intended to provide an up-to-date survey of the analytical approximate or semi-analytical methods that are encountered in acoustic scattering from random rough surfaces. Thus, this review focuses only on the scattering of acoustic waves and does not deal with the transmission through a rough interface of waves within a solid material. The main used approximations are classified here into two types: the two historical approximations (Kirchhoff approximation and the perturbation theory) and some sound propagation models more suitable for grazing observation angles on rough surfaces, such as the small slope approximation, the integral equation method and the parabolic equation. The use of the existing approximations in the scientific literature and their validity are highlighted. Rough surfaces with Gaussian height distribution are usually considered in the models hypotheses. Rather few comparisons between models and measurements have been found in the literature. Some new criteria have been recently determined for the validity of the Kirchhoff approximation, which is one of the most used models, owing to its implementation simplicity.