Resources

This page contains information for those wishing to learn more about the field of acoustics. More topics will be added periodically.

 

Noise and Environmental Acoustics

Many standards exist at the federal level for noise through agencies such as HUD, the FAA, OSHA, and the FHWA. However, regulation and enforcement are generally carried out at the state and local levels.

Federal

Arizona

 

Some Acoustical Research Fields

Thermoacoustics

Thermoacoustics engines are heat engines with typically one or no moving parts. A TASHE (thermoacoustic Stirling heat engine) uses the highly efficient Stirling cycle to turn heat into linear mechanical or electrical power. The heat source may be solar and the small number of parts required make these engines easy to manufacture in places without sophisticated manufacturing capabilities. By reversing the principle of the thermoacoustic engine, thermoacoustics can be used for refrigeration and has already found commercial applications in cryogenic cooling and on the space shuttle.

 

Infrasound

Infrasound has been used for decades to detect nuclear explosions and enforce the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. However, application of infrasound to geology and atmospheric science are relatively new. Many infrasonic events have yet to be identified.

 

Professional Organizations

reflected waves