0000000000362129
AUTHOR
Francisco Cervera
Acoustic characterization of Silica aerogel clamped plates for perfect absorption purpose
International audience; Silica aerogel has been widely studied as bulk material for its extremely low density and thermal conductivity. Plates or membranes made of this extremely soft materials exhibits interesting properties for sound absorption. A novel signal processing method for the characterization of an acoustic metamaterial made of silica aerogel clamped plates is presented. The acoustic impedance of a silica aerogel clamped plate is derived from the elastic theory for the flexural waves, while the transfer matrix method is used to model reflection and transmission coefficients of a single plate. Experimental results are obtained by using an acoustic impedance tube. The difference b…
Three-dimensional axisymmetric cloak based on the cancellation of acoustic scattering from a sphere.
This Letter presents the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of a directional threedimensional acoustic cloak for airborne sound. The cloak consists of 60 concentric acoustically rigid tori surrounding the cloaked object, a sphere of radius 4 cm. The major radii and positions of the tori along the symmetry axis are determined using the condition of complete cancellation of the acoustic field scattered from the sphere. They are obtained through an optimization technique that combines genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. The scattering cross section of the sphere with the cloak, which is the magnitude that is minimized, is calculated using the method of fundamental so…
Landscape and anti-predation determinants of nest-site selection, nest distribution and productivity in a Mediterranean population of Long-eared Owls Asio otus
Nest predation is an important determinant of owl breeding success. We studied Long-eared Owl Asio otus productivity and attributes of nest-sites at the microhabitat and landscape scales in a Mediterranean locality over an 8-year period. We examined the effect on nest location and productivity of protective cover in concealing the nest from aerial and terrestrial predators. A dense cover of ivy and tree-foliage at canopy level favoured nest location but not productivity. By contrast, high shrub cover beneath the nest was selected by Owls and was positively related to both the site reoccupancy rate and the overall number of young fledged. Pre-fledging Owls use the ground, where they are expo…