Analysis and validation method for polarization phenomena based on acoustic vector Hydrophones

Abstract

The concept of polarization originated in optics and has been extensively developed and applied in fields such as electromagnetism and seismicity. With the advent of vector sensors, this concept has been introduced into acoustics. However, research on acoustic polarization phenomena in underwater acoustics remains relatively scarce. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth investigation into polarization phenomena in acoustic fields. This study proposes a method to analyze and verify the polarization phenomenon in underwater acoustic vector fields. Firstly, the article establishes the basic model of polarization phenomenon in an acoustic vector field, illustrates the time evolution of a bivariate signal in a three-dimensional representation, and elucidates the physical significance underlying this phenomenon. Subsequently, the polarization ellipse in the acoustic vector field and its characterization parameters are derived theoretically and estimated by simulation images. On this basis, the theory is extended to three-dimensional space, and a visual representation of signal polarization characteristics is achieved through the concept of polarization degree. Finally, the proposed method is validated by external field experiments and data analysis. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical expectations, demonstrating the existence of polarization phenomena in the acoustic vector field.