Time-frequency analysis of acoustic scattering from elastic objects

A time-frequency analysis of acoustic scattering from elastic objects was carried out using the time-frequency representation based on a modified version of the Wigner distribution function (WDF) algorithm. A simple and efficient processing algorithm was developed, which provides meaningful interpretation of the scattering physics. The time and frequency representation derived from the WDF algorithm was further reduced to a display which is a skeleton plot, called a vein diagram, that depicts the essential features of the form function. The physical parameters of the scatterer are then extracted from this diagram with the proper interpretation of the scattering phenomena. Several examples, based on data obtained from numerically simulated models and laboratory measurements for elastic spheres and shells, are used to illustrate the capability and proficiency of the algorithm.