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Title: Towards direct realisation of the SI unit of sound pressure in the audible hearing range based on optical free-field acoustic particle measurements

Abstract

Since the introduction of the International System of Units (the SI system) in 1960, weights, measures, standardised approaches, procedures, and protocols have been introduced, adapted, and extensively used. A major international effort and activity concentrate on the definition and traceability of the seven base SI units in terms of fundamental constants, and consequently those units that are derived from the base units. In airborne acoustical metrology and for the audible range of frequencies up to 20 kHz, the SI unit of sound pressure, the pascal, is realised indirectly and without any knowledge or measurement of the sound field. Though the principle of reciprocity was originally formulated by Lord Rayleigh nearly two centuries ago, it was devised in the 1940s and eventually became a calibration standard in the 1960s; however, it can only accommodate a limited number of acoustic sensors of specific types and dimensions. International standards determine the device sensitivity either through coupler or through free-field reciprocity but rely on the continuous availability of specific acoustical artefacts. Here, we show an optical method based on gated photon correlation spectroscopy that can measure sound pressures directly and absolutely in fully anechoic conditions, remotely, and without disturbing the propagating sound field. Itmore » neither relies on the availability or performance of any measurement artefact nor makes any assumptions of the device geometry and sound field characteristics. Most importantly, the required units of sound pressure and microphone sensitivity may now be experimentally realised, thus providing direct traceability to SI base units.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Acoustics Group, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22398945
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 106; Journal Issue: 16; Other Information: (c) 2015 Crown; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; AVAILABILITY; CALIBRATION STANDARDS; CORRELATIONS; FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS; KHZ RANGE; PARTICLES; PERFORMANCE; PHOTONS; SENSITIVITY; SENSORS; SI UNITS; SOUND WAVES; SPECTROSCOPY

Citation Formats

Koukoulas, Triantafillos, and Piper, Ben. Towards direct realisation of the SI unit of sound pressure in the audible hearing range based on optical free-field acoustic particle measurements. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4918786.
Koukoulas, Triantafillos, & Piper, Ben. Towards direct realisation of the SI unit of sound pressure in the audible hearing range based on optical free-field acoustic particle measurements. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918786
Koukoulas, Triantafillos, and Piper, Ben. 2015. "Towards direct realisation of the SI unit of sound pressure in the audible hearing range based on optical free-field acoustic particle measurements". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918786.
@article{osti_22398945,
title = {Towards direct realisation of the SI unit of sound pressure in the audible hearing range based on optical free-field acoustic particle measurements},
author = {Koukoulas, Triantafillos and Piper, Ben},
abstractNote = {Since the introduction of the International System of Units (the SI system) in 1960, weights, measures, standardised approaches, procedures, and protocols have been introduced, adapted, and extensively used. A major international effort and activity concentrate on the definition and traceability of the seven base SI units in terms of fundamental constants, and consequently those units that are derived from the base units. In airborne acoustical metrology and for the audible range of frequencies up to 20 kHz, the SI unit of sound pressure, the pascal, is realised indirectly and without any knowledge or measurement of the sound field. Though the principle of reciprocity was originally formulated by Lord Rayleigh nearly two centuries ago, it was devised in the 1940s and eventually became a calibration standard in the 1960s; however, it can only accommodate a limited number of acoustic sensors of specific types and dimensions. International standards determine the device sensitivity either through coupler or through free-field reciprocity but rely on the continuous availability of specific acoustical artefacts. Here, we show an optical method based on gated photon correlation spectroscopy that can measure sound pressures directly and absolutely in fully anechoic conditions, remotely, and without disturbing the propagating sound field. It neither relies on the availability or performance of any measurement artefact nor makes any assumptions of the device geometry and sound field characteristics. Most importantly, the required units of sound pressure and microphone sensitivity may now be experimentally realised, thus providing direct traceability to SI base units.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4918786},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22398945}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
issn = {0003-6951},
number = 16,
volume = 106,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}