Understanding Acoustics

Steven L. Garrett received his Ph.D. in Physics from UCLA in 1977. He continued research in quantum fluids at the University of Sussex in England, followed by two years in the Physics Department at the University of California at Berkeley as a Fellow of the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science. Prof. Garrett joined the faculty of the Naval Postgraduate School in 1982 where his research efforts were concentrated on the development of fiber-optic sensors and thermoacoustic refrigerators. Prof. Garrett left NPS in 1995 to assume his current position as a Professor of Acoustics in the Graduate Program in Acoustics at Penn State. In 2001, he was a Fulbright Fellow at the Danish Technical University and in 2008 a Jefferson Fellow in the US State Department. Prof. Garrett is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and recipient of their Interdisciplinary Medal in Physical and Engineering Acoustics as well as the Popular Science Magazine Award for Environmental Technology, the Helen Caldecott Award for Environmental Technology, and the Rolex Award for Enterprise (environment category). He has been issued over two dozen patents.

Chapter1: Comfort for the Computationally Crippled.- Part I - Vibrations.- Chapter2: The Simple Harmonic Oscillator.- Chapter3: String Theory.- Chapter4: Elasticity of Solids.- Chapter5: Modes of Bars.- Chapter6: Membranes, Plates and Microphones.- Part 2 - Waves in Fluids.- Chapter7: Ideal Gas Laws.- Chapter8: Nondissipative Lumped Elements.- Chapter8: Nondissipative Lumped Elements.- Chapter9: Dissipative Hydrodynamics.- Chapter10: One-Dimensional Propagation.- Chapter11: Reflection, Transmission, and Refraction.- Chapter12: Radiation and Scattering.- Chapter13: Three-Dimensional Enclosures.- Chapter14: Attenuation of Sound.- Part3: Extensions.- Chapter15: Nonlinear Acoustics.

"The author achieves his stated goal in helping researchers know when their computer simulations might contain errors by using test cases with numerous examples. ... well suited for teaching acoustics at the undergraduate and graduate level and is an excellent reference for those interested in the physical aspects of acoustics in strings, membranes, and bars. As such it is a good reference for those interested in speakers and audio technology, musical acoustics, physical acoustics, and a wide range of applications." (James M. Gelb, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Vol. 69 (5), 2021)

“The author achieves his stated goal in helping researchers know when their computer simulations might contain errors by using test cases with numerous examples. … well suited for teaching acoustics at the undergraduate and graduate level and is an excellent reference for those interested in the physical aspects of acoustics in strings, membranes, and bars. As such it is a good reference for those interested in speakers and audio technology, musical acoustics, physical acoustics, and a wide range of applications.” (James M. Gelb, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Vol. 69 (5), 2021)