Steven L. Means
Graduate Program in Acoust., Appl. Sci. Bldg., Penn State Univ., University Park, PA 16801
Several types of structural acoustic waves are known to propagate on fluid-loaded cylindrical shells. When propagating in the axial direction they can be described by a dispersion relation D(k[sub x],(omega))=0. When these waves are incident on a shell discontinuity, here considered larger than the radius and smaller than the wavelength, energy is scattered back along the cylinder axis and into the surrounding medium. To characterize this phenomenon, the shell is considered to be locally reactive from -(infinity) to 0, and rigid from 0 to (infinity) along the x axis. A wave of known type is incident from x=-(infinity) and excites a reflected wave and acoustic waves originating from the vicinity x=0. Pertinent asymptotic results are obtained including the reflection coefficient of the reflected wave and the far-field acoustic radiation pattern of the scattered wave. [Work supported by ONR and by the William E. Leonhard endowment to Pennsylvania State University.]