Ground effects in time‐domain simulations of outdoor sound propagation.
Finite‐difference, time‐domain (FDTD) methods are precise and powerful tools to solve linearized Euler equations. Interaction between the acoustic waves with local wind or temperature gradients as well as a complex topography can be taken into account. Recently, a time‐domain boundary condition has been proposed [Cotte et al., AIAA J. 47, 2391–2403 (2009)] and has been implemented in a FDTD solver using methods developed in the computational aeroacoustics community [Bogey and Bailly, J. Comput. Phys. 194, 194–214 (2004)]. Propagation of an initial pulse over a distance of 500 m in a two‐dimensional geometry is considered in a frequency band up to 1200 Hz. Surface waves which propagate close to and parallel to impedance grounds are exhibited. To validate the obtained results, a comparison is made in the time‐domain with an analytical solution. Ground effects are discussed depending on the impedance of the ground. [This work was performed using HPC resources from GENCI‐IDRIS (Grant 2009‐022203).]
Observations of acoustic surface waves in outdoor sound propagation.
Acoustic surface waves have been detected propagating outdoors under natural conditions. Two critical experimental conditions were employed to ensure the conclusive detection of these waves. First, acoustic pulses rather than a continuous wave source allowed an examination of the waveform shape and avoided the masking of wave arrivals. Second, a snow cover provided favorable ground impedance conditions for surface waves to exist. The acoustic pulses were generated by blank pistol shots fired 1 m above the snow. The resultant waveforms were measured using a vertical array of six microphones located 60 m away from the source at heights between 0.1 and 4.75 m. A strong, low frequency "tail" following the initial arrival was recorded near the snow surface. This tail, and its exponential decay with height (z) above the surface (approximately e(-alpha z)), are diagnostic features of surface waves. The measured attenuation coefficient alpha was 0.28 m(-1). The identification of the surface wave is confirmed by comparing the measured waveforms with waveforms predicted by the theoretical evaluation of the explicit surface wave pole term using residue theory.
Daily weather variables and affective disorder admissions to psychiatric hospitals
Numerous studies have reported that admission rates in patients with affective disorders are subject to seasonal variation. Notwithstanding, there has been limited evaluation of the degree to which changeable daily meteorological patterns influence affective disorder admission rates. A handful of small studies have alluded to a potential link between psychiatric admission rates and meteorological variables such as environmental temperature (heat waves in particular), wind direction and sunshine. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test, ARIMA and time-series regression analyses to examine whether daily meteorological variables—namely wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, rainfall, hours of sunshine, sunlight radiation and temperature—influence admission rates for mania and depression across 12 regions in Ireland over a 31-year period. Although we found some very weak but interesting trends for barometric pressure in relation to mania admissions, daily meteorological patterns did not appear to affect hospital admissions overall for mania or depression. Our results do not support the small number of papers to date that suggest a link between daily meteorological variables and affective disorder admissions. Further study is needed.