Technical Committee: Computational Acoustics (TC-CA)

Focus and research topics covered by TC-CA

The TC-CA brings together researchers from the fields of computational acoustic modeling and numerical analysis. It is intended that the members are familiar, or are in the learning stages, with the usage of advanced computer techniques for modern and classical acoustic problems. This group primarily consists of scientists currently developing numerical methods to solve classical acoustic problems but does not exclude members who are interested in exploring original computational techniques for new acoustic applications. For example, numerical methods for nonlinear acoustic problems or updating recent results on new finite and boundary element methods for three-dimensional and two-dimensional linear acoustic scattering in both frequency and time-domain. A major task of the committee is to stimulate joint activities and mutual cooperation between researchers worldwide in these areas. The TC-CA will act as a virtual community for EU proposals where cross-fertilisation between computation and scientific subjects is necessary to complete a viable EU proposal.

What are the goals of the TC-CA?

An important aspect of the TC in Computational Acoustics will provide a basis for an exchange of information between students from a wide basis and different subject cohort. Graduate student exchange will also form part of the program initiative. Researchers in the field of acoustic computational science will form the central group of the Technical Committee in the formative stages. This will allow a connection between researchers worldwide in the field of computational and numerical acoustics. The TC-CA will supply a web-site with links to educational materials useful for studying and teaching activities and European organized summer schools, e.g Summer schools in numerical analysis which would not otherwise be shown on an acoustics page. European host scientists will be able to advertise key visiting scientists to their laboratory with location of appropriate seminars and other proposed visits by the key scientists.

Who will benefit from membership to TC-CA?

Membership to the TC-CA will benefit young researchers and graduate students, possibly on an exchange program, where information exchange is of importance. It is intended that students in inter-disciplinary subjects will also benefit from the goals set for TC-CA especially in receiving up-to-date accurate subroutines and algorithms. Senior scientists will benefit on posting possible doctorate programs and keeping up-to-date with the location of visiting scientists, seminars and expressions of interest in European-wide projects.

Activities of TC-CA.

The primary activities of the TC-CA, in the context of the EAA web-site could include the following but is open to debate and discussion :

1. Round Robin Test. Examples of the round-robin test can be found on this web-site and is organized by Peter Svensson and Sakuma Tetsuya.
2. Under general title of Benchmark Tests this subsection could be split in a number of ways perhaps into two or three sections. The first section could include validation of methods where known solutions are available. These solutions may be by modal decomposition or spherical harmonic expansions, for example. See next point. The first is known exact solutions see point 3. The second could be benchmarking for cases where no known exact solution is available, for example, acoustic scattering by a cube as provided in round-robin test. There could also be an advanced benchmark section see point 4. Workgroups and particular networks need to be set up for benchmarking to be established.
3. Validation of algorithms: an in-depth and exclusive study of exact solutions for acoustic problems for use by graduate and research students. (Could tackle questions of convergence and ill-conditioning). User-supplied MATLAB or C of F90 -programs made available to research community.
4. Advanced Benchmark Tests. Layered media or continuously changing sound profile environments, extremely large or high frequency scattering problems and subjects of current research.
5. Post new problems ( not directly related to particular doctorate or Masters thesis projects, naturally ).
6. Links to Conferences in which Computational Acoustics is included as session.
7. Post Seminars by leading scientists and key visitors in university and research departments in Europe.
8. Site for possible PhD and Post Doctoral opportunities and MSc exchange program in computational acoustics, for example EDSVS, within a EU framework.