Impedance at a rough waveguide boundary (Q1068643)

The impedance at the randomly rough upper boundary of an ocean waveguide is derived. The sound speed of the waveguide is an arbitrary function of depth. The boundary surface height is assumed to be a statistically homogeneous Gaussian process. Integral equations for the Green's function and its normal derivative on the boundary are derived. These are solved to second order in the surface interaction. The result is a rational approximation to the impedance in terms of the wave guide Green's function and the statistical properties of the surface. The special cases of small and large roughness as well as that of a constant sound speed profile are presented. For simplicity we restrict the analysis to a semi- infinite waveguide where the waveguide Green's function vanishes at the surface (Dirichlet problem).