Matched-Field Processing with a Vector Sensor Array

P. Santos, pjsantos@ualg.pt
SiPLAB - FCT, University of Algarve
Campus de Gambelas,
PT-8005-139 Faro, Portugal

Abstract:This report presents a vector sensor array (VSA) data model, which merges both the acoustic pressure and the particle velocity components. The signal component of the VSA data model is derived considering a ray tracing model - TRACE, which accounts for particle velocity components. Then a VSA version of Bartlett estimator is developed in order to incorporate the particle velocity in the Matched-Field (MF) inversion techniques, usually done with acoustic pressure. Comparisons between several processors based either in individual particle velocity components and acoustic pressure only or using all the vector sensor outputs, it will be made. The simulations results, for estimating ocean bottom parameters such as: the compressional wave speed $c_s$ , the compressional attenuation $\alpha$ and the density $\rho$ of sediment, are presented considering the TRACE ray tracing model to generate the field replicas. Using the physical output information (acoustic pressure and particle velocity) of TRACE, various simulations cases are shown in order to determine the MF output sensitivity of the parameter variability. Moreover, the influence of reducing the number of element sensors in the bottom parameters estimation is shown.