Radiation impedance loading of a spherical source in a two-dimensional perfect acoustic waveguide

We employ the classical method of separation of variables in combination with the method of images and the translational addition theorems for spherical wave functions to investigate the acoustic radiation load on a finite-sized spherical source which is submerged at an arbitrary point within a plane-parallel sound channel with absolutely reflecting boundaries. To simulate an idealized situation, it is supposed that the fluid layer is homogeneous and is bounded below by an acoustically hard surface and above by a rigid/compliant boundary. Subsequently, the resistive and the reactive components of the modal acoustic radiation impedance load as a function of source position for a pulsating (n = 0) and an oscillating (n = 1) sphere at selected nondimensional frequencies are calculated and discussed. The presented benchmark solution can lead to a better understanding of the acoustics of waveguide sources (transducers) that are of practical interest in underwater acoustics and ocean engineering. It could eventually be used to validate those found by numerical approximation techniques.