Mission Statement:
The Acoustic Signal Processing Branch conducts a theoretical and experimental
program addressing basic and applied ocean acoustics, system performance prediction
and enhancement, and underwater acoustic communications (ACCOM). The long-term
objective is to predict and optimize the performance characteristics of present
and future Navy ASW, MCM and ACCOM systems through an understanding of the
fundamental performance limits in the ocean environment. At-sea experiments
are critical to fulfill the research mission. The ocean acoustics research
establishes quantitative relationships between the variability in acoustic
signal properties and the physical processes that cause space/time variability
in the ocean sound speed field; develops the ability to predict acoustic field
variability in the littoral by coupling non-hydrostatic fluid dynamic models
and acoustic propagation models; studies the noise generation processes and
its space-time properties; estimates the geo-acoustic properties of the ocean
sub-bottom through inversion techniques based on acoustic data; and estimates
the channel capacity for ACCOMs. The research into signal propagation and
noise characteristics leads to prediction of the performance of evolving Navy
systems and development of new system concepts and development of new detection,
localization, classification and communication algorithms that incorporate
the physics of signal propagation and mitigate the uncertain channel variability
and uncertainty.
The acting Branch Head can be reached at (202) 767-2579.
Branch Description:
The Acoustics Signal Processing
Branch is not comprised of sections, but rather Projects within Topic Areas.
Each Project is headed by a Principal Investigator.
| Topic Area | Project Name |
| Undersea Noise - Impact on Large Aperture Array Performance - Shallow and Deep Water Operating Areas | Large Aperture Noise Gain |
| Surf Zone and Open Ocean Breaking Wave Noise Generation | |
| Radiated Shipping Noise - Commercial and Recreational | |
| Random Media Propagation Physics - Impact on Array Performance - Littoral Operating Area | Acoustic Propagation in a Random Shallow Water Waveguide - Flow Visualization of the Littoral Fluid Processes That Perturb the Sound Speed Field |
| Coupled Non-hydrostatic Fluid Dynamic and Acoustic Propagation Simulations - Predict Array Performance in Dynamic Littoral Ocean (10-1000 Hz) | |
| Relationship of Acoustic Array Signal Gain to Shelf Break Fluid Processes - Array Performance in the Littoral (10-1000 Hz) | |
| Fish Swim Bladder Absorption and Scatter - Impact on Transmission Loss (100 - 10,000 Hz) | |
| Ocean Bottom Property Estimation | Biot Theory Based Bottom Property Inversion Using Nadir Incident Broadband (900 -15000 Hz) Acoustic Signals |
| Bottom Property Inversion Using Towed Arrays and Self Noise | |
| Underwater Acoustic Communications | Phase Coherent Underwater Acoustics Communications - Impact of the Environment on Bit Error Rates |
Modification date: February 25, 2008 - webmaster@acoustics.nrl.navy.mil.
