The influence of scattering and diffraction on the performance of sound intensity probes has been examined using a boundary element model of an axisymmetric two-microphone probe with the microphones in the usual face-to-face arrangement. On the basis of calculations for a variety of sound field conditions and probe geometries it is concluded that the optimum length of the spacer between the microphones is about one microphone diameter; with this geometry the effect of diffraction and the finite difference error almost counterbalance each other up to about an octave above the frequency limit determined by the finite difference approximation. This seems to be valid under virtually any sound field condition that could be of practical importance in sound power determination. The upper frequency limit corresponds to about 10 kHz for an intensity probe with 12-in. microphones, which means that it should be possible to cover most of the audible frequency range, say, from 50 Hz to 10 kHz, with a single probe configuration. The numerical results have been confirmed by a series of experiments.
Binaural recording of the individual sound exposure showed that orchestra musicians could be exposed differently to the left and right ear and that they were primarily exposed from their own instruments. Specific repertoires as well as the specific instrument determine the level of exposure.
Sound is vital for communication and navigation across the animal kingdom and sound communication is unrivaled in accuracy and information richness over long distances both in air and water. The source level (SL) of the sound is a key factor in determining the range at which animals can communicate and the range at which echolocators can operate their biosonar. Here we compile, standardize and compare measurements of the loudest animals both in air and water. In air we find a remarkable similarity in the highest SLs produced across the different taxa. Within all taxa we find species that produce sound above 100 dBpeak re 20 μPa at 1 m, and a few bird and mammal species have SLs as high as 125 dBpeak re 20 μPa at 1 m. We next used pulsating sphere and piston models to estimate the maximum sound pressures generated in the radiated sound field. These data suggest that the loudest species within all taxa converge upon maximum pressures of 140–150 dBpeak re 20 μPa in air. In water, the toothed whales produce by far the loudest SLs up to 240 dBpeak re 1 μPa at 1 m. We discuss possible physical limitations to the production, radiation and propagation of high sound pressures. Furthermore, we discuss physiological limitations to the wide variety of sound generating mechanisms that have evolved in air and water of which many are still not well-understood or even unknown. We propose that in air, non-linear sound propagation forms a limit to producing louder sounds. While non-linear sound propagation may play a role in water as well, both sperm whale and pistol shrimp reach another physical limit of sound production, the cavitation limit in water. Taken together, our data suggests that both in air and water, animals evolved that produce sound so loud that they are pushing against physical rather than physiological limits of sound production, radiation and propagation.
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