Isotropy in decaying reverberant sound fields

Abstract

A method of evaluating sound field isotropy in decaying reverberant sound fields is presented. The proposed method extends the experimental framework outlined in [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 143(4), 2514–2526 (2018)] and analyzes the decaying sound field in a reverberation room. Spatio-temporal measurements of the sound field are obtained, and a wavenumber decomposition is performed as a function of time, which serves to examine the directional properties of the sound field and its angular symmetry. Experimental results are obtained in a reverberation room in four different configurations (the empty room, with an absorber on the floor, with panel diffusers, and without them). The results demonstrate how isotropy tends to increase or decrease as a function of time, depending on the disposition of the diffusing and absorbing elements. Diffusers are found to effectively redirect the energy in the room, although they do not succeed in generating a uniform incidence on the sample. The proposed approach makes it possible to analyze the specific processes occurring in a reverberation chamber and can provide valuable insights in the process of standardization to verify the directional properties found in each reverberation room.