3 Credit Hours

This course covers the principles for acoustic and elastic propagation in fluids and solids. Diffraction theory is developed for finite sources. The notions of wavepacket, dispersion and waveguiding are reviewed. The fundamentals of the theory of elasticity and elastic propagation in solids are introduced, based on tensor analysis. Time reversal of acoustic waves is presented, as well as applications to underwater acoustics, medical imaging and therapy, nondestructive testing, elasticity imaging.

Prerequisites

None.

Course Objectives

The students will develop a comprehensive knowledge on the propagation of acoustic waves originating from finite sources. They will be able to calculate the acoustic field radiated by plane and focused transducers in 3D in the monochromatic and pulsed regimes. They will understand the underlying principles of elastic propagation, nonlinear propagation and waveguiding. They will learn how these phenomena can be exploited to probe materials and biological tissues. They will exploit the properties of guided elastic waves to create a tactile keyboard using Lamb waves.

Course Outline

• Plane waves in finite media 1 week
• 3D wave equation – Spherical waves 2 week
• Finite sources and diffraction 3 weeks
• Dispersion and wave guiding 2 weeks
  (Applications to underwater acoustics, bone diagnosis)
• Propagation of elastic waves in solids 2 weeks
  (Applications to elasticity imaging)
• Time reversal of acoustic waves 1 week
  (Applications to cancer therapy, underwater acoustics)
• Project: Tactile keyboard 1.5 weeks
• Project: Finite difference time domain simulation 1.5 weeks

Course Requirements

1 midterm exam, 2 projects.

Textbooks

Required: None.
Recommended:
• Fundamentals of Acoustics, Kinsler, Frey, Coppens and Sanders. ISBN-13: 978-8126521999
• Theoretical Acoustics, Morse and Ingard. ISBN-13: 978-0691024011
• Fourier Acoustics, Earl Williams. ISBN-13: 978-0127539607
• Elastic Waves in Solids I, Royer and Dieulesaint. ISBN-13: 978-3540659327

Software Requirements

Matlab.

Created: 10/27/2025.