Comparison of homogeneous and heterogeneous modeling of transient scattering from dispersive media directly in the time domain (Q2655815)

The paper discusses the inclusion of an additional term in the wave equation, in the form of the derivative of the convolution between the causal time-domain propagation factor and the acoustic pressure, that takes into account the dispersive characteristics of the medium. The resulting modified wave equation, homogeneous or heterogeneous, is applicable to either linear or nonlinear propagation. A uniformly fourth-order finite-difference time-domain solution of a modified linear heterogeneous equation is presented. Two different dispersive mediums, a bubbly media due to breaking water waves and human tissue, are numerically simulated. It is found that ignoring the heterogeneity in the medium can lead to significant error in the propagated and scattered fields.