A 3-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF ACOUSTIC PROPAGATION IN A PENETRABLE WEDGE SLICE

A model for the three-dimensional acoustic field in a penetrable wedge with isovelocity sound-speed profiles and a harmonic, point source is developed using the method of source images. The model is used to compute the field in a plane normal to the wedge apex (a wedge "slice"). A new loss term due to three-dimensional effects is derived and investigated. The field in the sediment of a wedge slice is computed and the mode penetration angles are compared with those obtained by Jensen and Kuperman [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67, 1564-1566 (1980)] using the narrow angle parabolic equation and Jensen (private communication) using a coupled mode calculation.