The broadband transport theory approach to model internal wave induced scattering across deep water acoustic time-fronts

Abstract

There are currently no models to fully predict the effects of internal wave induced scattering on acoustic pulses. Existing models, which predict time domain statistics, either use the ray-based path integral method or Monte Carlo type simulations. The path integral method fails to accurately predict all of the effects of scattering. The Monte Carlo methods base the statistics on ensemble averages and are not physics-based models. This paper overcomes these limitations by using the modes of the waveguide in a transport theory application. The transport theory equations have, thus far, been used only to explain diffusion of mode intensities and decorrelation due to internal waves at individual frequencies. This paper extends the current narrowband application predict mode correlations across different frequencies and, from that, the broadband time-front, time wander, travel time bias, and the amount of spread in intensity across time and depth. To validate these predictions, this paper uses separate parabolic equation simulations. The comparisons between the two are good, suggesting a success for the mode-based transport theory approach.