Section: Application Domains

Acoustics

As the acoustic propagation in a fluid at rest can be described by a scalar equation, it is generally considered by applied mathematicians as a simple preliminary step for more complicated (vectorial) models. However, several difficult questions concerning coupling problems have occupied our attention recently.

Aeroacoustics, or more precisely, acoustic propagation in a moving compressible fluid, is for our team a new and very challenging topic, which gives rise to a lot of open questions, from the modelling until the numerical approximation of existing models. Our works in this area are partially supported by EADS (and Airbus). The final objective is to reduce the noise radiated by Airbus planes.

Vibroacoustics, which concerns the interaction between sound propagation ans vibrations of thin structures, also raises up a lot of relevant research subjects. Our collaboration with EADS on this subject, with application to the confort of the cockpits of airplanes, allowed us to develop a new research direction about time domain integral equations.

A particularly attractive application concerns the simulation of musical instruments, whose objectives are both a better understanding of the behavior of existing instruments and an aid for the manufactoring of new instruments. The modeling and simulation of the timpani and of the guitar have been carried out in collaboration with A. Chaigne of ENSTA. We intend to initiate a new collaboration on the piano.