No abstract

This work presents a lossy partial differential acoustic wave equation including fractional derivative terms. It is derived from first principles of physics (mass and momentum conservation) and an equation of state given by the fractional Zener stress-strain constitutive relation. For a derivative order α in the fractional Zener relation, the resulting absorption α(k) obeys frequency power-laws as α(k) ∝ ω(1+α) in a low-frequency regime, α(k) ∝ ω(1-α/2) in an intermediate-frequency regime, and α(k) ∝ ω(1-α) in a high-frequency regime. The value α=1 corresponds to the case of a single relaxation process. The wave equation is causal for all frequencies. In addition the sound speed does not diverge as the frequency approaches infinity. This is an improvement over a previously published wave equation building on the fractional Kelvin-Voigt constitutive relation.

The acoustic wave attenuation is described by an experimentally established frequency power law in a variety of complex media, e.g., biological tissue, polymers, rocks, and rubber. Recent papers present a variety of acoustical fractional derivative wave equations that have the ability to model power-law attenuation. On the other hand, a multiple relaxation model is widely recognized as a physically based description of the acoustic loss mechanisms as developed by Nachman et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 88, 1584-1595 (1990)]. Through assumption of a continuum of relaxation mechanisms, each with an effective compressibility described by a distribution related to the Mittag-Leffler function, this paper shows that the wave equation corresponding to the multiple relaxation approach is identical to a given fractional derivative wave equation. This work therefore provides a physically based motivation for use of fractional wave equations in acoustic modeling.

A set of wave equations with fractional loss operators in time and space are analyzed. The fractional Szabo equation, the power law wave equation and the causal fractional Laplacian wave equation are all found to be low-frequency approximations of the fractional Kelvin-Voigt wave equation and the more general fractional Zener wave equation. The latter two equations are based on fractional constitutive equations, whereas the former wave equations have been derived from the desire to model power law attenuation in applications like medical ultrasound. This has consequences for use in modeling and simulation, especially for applications that do not satisfy the low-frequency approximation, such as shear wave elastography. In such applications, the wave equations based on constitutive equations are the viable ones.