Characterization of sound scattering using near-field pressure and particle velocity measurements

The acoustic properties of surfaces are commonly evaluated using samples of finite size, which generate edge diffraction effects that are often disregarded. This study makes use of sound scattering theory to characterize such finite samples. In a given sound field, the samples can be described by a unique complex directivity function called the far-field pattern. Numerical results show that the far-field pattern contains extensive information on the tested samples, including sound absorption and surface scattering, as well as scattering due to finiteness. In this paper, a method is introduced to estimate the far-field pattern of a finite sample. The method relies on measurements of the sound pressure and acoustic particle velocity in the near-field of the sample, and it makes use of the Helmholtz integral equation. The proposed technique is examined in an anechoic room where the sound field near the test sample is scanned with a three-dimensional sound intensity probe. The estimated far-field pattern is compared with numerical predictions up to 1 kHz.