Tissue physical property of the harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena for investigation of the sound emission process

Abstract

The process by which sound is propagated in the head of a toothed whale is still a subject of discussion. Investigating the distribution of acoustic impedance calculated by density and Young's modulus is effective for quantitative comprehension because acoustic impedance determines the reflection coefficient of a sound wave. However, the sound propagation process of the toothed whale has been mainly examined by either anatomical techniques or the measurement of density or sound velocity. In the current study, the acoustic impedance of head tissue of harbor porpoise was measured. Results of this study should be a helpful information for further discussion about the relationship between the structure of sound-producing organ and clicks property.