Written by the world's leading scholars and researchers in the emerging field of sound studies, The Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies offers new and fully engaging perspectives on the significance of sound in its material and cultural forms. The book considers sounds and music as experienced in such diverse settings as shop floors, laboratories, clinics, design studios, homes, and clubs, across an impressively broad range of historical periods and national and cultural contexts.
Science has traditionally been understood as a visual matter, a study which has historically been undertaken with optical technologies such as slides, graphs, and telescopes. This book questions that notion powerfully by showing how listening has contributed to scientific practice. Sounds have always been a part of human experience, shaping and transforming the world in which we live in ways that often go unnoticed. Sounds and music, the authors argue, are embedded in the fabric of everyday life, art, commerce, and politics in ways which impact our perception of the world. Through an extraordinarily diverse set of case studies, authors illustrate how sounds -- from the sounds of industrialization, to the sounds of automobiles, to sounds in underwater music and hip-hop, to the sounds of nanotechnology -- give rise to new forms listening practices. In addition, the book discusses the rise of new public problems such as noise pollution, hearing loss, and the "end" of the amateur musician that stem from the spread and appropriation of new sound- and music-related technologies, analog and digital, in many domains of life.
Rich in vivid and detailed examples and compelling case studies, and featuring a companion website of listening samples, this remarkable volume boldly challenges readers to rethink the way they hear and understand the world.

Foundations of Engineering Acoustics takes the reader on a journey from a qualitative introduction to the physical nature of sound, explained in terms of common experience, to mathematical models and analytical results which underlie the techniques applied by the engineering industry to improve the acoustic performance of their products. The book is distinguished by extensive descriptions and explanations of audio-frequency acoustic phenomena and their relevance to engineering, supported by a wealth of diagrams, and by a guide for teachers of tried and tested class demonstrations and laboratory-based experiments.
Foundations of Engineering Acoustics is a textbook suitable for both senior undergraduate and postgraduate courses in mechanical, aerospace, marine, and possibly electrical and civil engineering schools at universities. It will be a valuable reference for academic teachers and researchers and will also assist Industrial Acoustic Group staff and Consultants.
Comprehensive and up-to-date: broad coverage, many illustrations, questions, elaborated answers, references and a bibliography
Introductory chapter on the importance of sound in technology and the role of the engineering acoustician
Deals with the fundamental concepts, principles, theories and forms of mathematical representation, rather than methodology
Frequent reference to practical applications and contemporary technology
Emphasizes qualitative, physical introductions to each principal as an entree to mathematical analysis for the less theoretically oriented readers and courses
Provides a 'cook book' of demonstrations and laboratory-based experiments for teachers
Useful for discussing acoustical problems with non-expert clients/managers because the descriptive sections are couched in largely non-technical language and any jargon is explained
Draws on the vast pedagogic experience of the writer"

Intended a both a textbook and a reference, Fourier Acoustics develops the theory of sound radiation uniquely from the viewpoint of Fourier Analysis. This powerful perspective of sound radiation provides the reader with a comprehensive and practical understanding which will enable him or her to diagnose and solve sound and vibration problems in the 21st Century. As a result of this perspective, Fourier Acoustics is able to present thoroughly and simply, for the first time in book form, the theory of nearfield acoustical holography, an important technique which has revolutionised the measurement of sound. Relying little on material outside the book, Fourier Acoustics will be invaluable as a graduate level text as well as a reference for researchers in academia and industry.
Key Features
* The physics of wave propogation and sound vibration in homogeneous media
*Acoustics, such as radiation of sound, and radiation from vibrating surfaces
*Inverse problems, such as the theory of nearfield acoustical holography
*Mathematics of specialized functions, such as spherical harmonics

While research on ultrasonics has been covered in earlier volumes of the Physical Acoustics series, Volumes 23 and 24 demonstrate the successful commercialization of devices and instruments arising from research in this area. These volumes will assist in the process of bringing research output into the marketplace to the benefit of customers.
The chapters are liberally illustrated with pictures of actual commercial objects which have been or are in use. Included are Medical Ultrasonic Diagnostics, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), Acoustic Emission, Process Control, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Devices, Frequency Control Devices, Research Instruments, Transducers, and Ultrasonic Microscopes. Also contained in the text are six essays covering technology transfer and commercialization.

While research on ultrasonics has been covered in earlier volumes of the Physical Acoustics series, Volumes 23 and 24 demonstrate the successful commercialization of devices and instruments arising from research in this area. These volumes will assist in the process of bringing research output into the marketplace to the benefit of customers.
The chapters are liberally illustrated with pictures of actual commercial objects which have been or are in use. Included are Medical Ultrasonic Diagnostics, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), Acoustic Emission, Process Control, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Devices, Frequency Control Devices, Research Instruments, Transducers, and Ultrasonic Microscopes. Also contained in the text are six essays covering technology transfer and commercialization.

"This volume deals with the interaction of acoustic fields with bubbles in liquids, with emphasis on the principles of cavitation--the generation of bubbles in liquids by rapid changes, such as those introduced by ultrasound. When cavity bubbles implode they produce shock waves in the liquid. If cavitation is induced by turbulent flow, components can be damaged. These phenomena have important implications, particularly in underwater acoustics, one of the fastest growing fields in acoustics research. The Acoustic Bubble skillfully explains the physical processes involved in cavitation both by analogy and formulation, making the concepts accessible to those with a minimal background in mathematics. This book willbe of great interest to those engaged in research in a wide range of areas, from sonochemistry to the sensitization of explosives.

This book describes modern techniques for reducing the level of airborne noise through the introduction of sound radiated by additional secondary sources, bringing together the results of contemporary research in this area. It is the combination of the physical properties of sound fields and modern digital signal processing technology that has made the active control of sound a practical proposition in a number of important applications. The book covers both these aspects of the subject, initially at a fundamental level, and then in detail in later chapters. The structure of the book is such that it should be suitable for both those seeking a basic understanding of the subject and as a reference for researchers in the field. One of the key features of the work is thus the unified presentation of material from the two disciplines of acoustics and signal processing.

Acoustics: Sound Fields, Transducers and Vibration, Second Edition guides readers through the basics of sound fields, the laws governing sound generation, radiation, and propagation, and general terminology. Specific sections cover microphones (electromagnetic, electrostatic, and ribbon), earphones, and horns, loudspeaker enclosures, baffles and transmission lines, miniature applications (e.g. MEMS microphones and micro speakers in tablets and smart phones), sound in enclosures of all sizes, such as school rooms, offices, auditoriums and living rooms, and fluid-structure interaction. Numerical examples and summary charts are given throughout the text to make the material easily applicable to practical design. New to this edition: A chapter on electrostatic loudspeakers A chapter on vibrating surfaces (membranes, plates, and shells) Readers will find this to be a valuable resource for experimenters, acoustical consultants, and to those who anticipate being engineering designers of audio equipment. It will serve as both a text for students in engineering departments and as a valuable reference for practicing engineers.

Optical properties, particularly in the infrared range of wavelengths, continue to be of enormous interest to both material scientists and device engineers. The need for the development of standards for data of optical properties in the infrared range of wavelengths is very timely considering the on-going transition of nano-technology from fundamental R&D to manufacturing. Radiative properties play a critical role in the processing, process control and manufacturing of semiconductor materials, devices, circuits and systems. The design and implementation of real-time process control methods in manufacturing requires the knowledge of the radiative properties of materials. Sensors and imagers operate on the basis of the radiative properties of materials. This book reviews the optical properties of various semiconductors in the infrared range of wavelengths. Theoretical and experimental studies of the radiative properties of semiconductors are presented. Previous studies, potential applications and future developments are outlined. In Chapter 1, an introduction to the radiative properties is presented. Examples of instrumentation for measurements of the radiative properties is described in Chapter 2. In Chapters 3-11, case studies of the radiative properties of several semiconductors are elucidated. The modeling and applications of these properties are explained in Chapters 12 and 13, respectively. In Chapter 14, examples of the global infrastructure for these measurements are illustrated.

Like rocket science or brain surgery, quantum mechanics is pigeonholed as a daunting and inaccessible topic, which is best left to an elite or peculiar few. This classification was not earned without some degree of merit. Depending on perspective; quantum mechanics is a discipline or philosophy, a convention or conundrum, an answer or question. Authors have run the gamut from hand waving to heavy handed in hopes to dispel the common beliefs about quantum mechanics, but perhaps they continue to promulgate the stigma. The focus of this particular effort is to give the reader an introduction, if not at least an appreciation, of the role that linear algebra techniques play in the practical application of quantum mechanical methods. It interlaces aspects of the classical and quantum picture, including a number of both worked and parallel applications. Students with no prior experience in quantum mechanics, motivated graduate students, or researchers in other areas attempting to gain some introduction to quantum theory will find particular interest in this book.

Electromagnetic homogenization is the process of estimating the effective electromagnetic properties of composite materials in the long-wavelength regime, wherein the length scales of nonhomogeneities are much smaller than the wavelengths involved. This is a bird's-eye view of currently available homogenization formalisms for particulate composite materials. It presents analytical methods only, with focus on the general settings of anisotropy and bianisotropy. The authors largely concentrate on 'effective' materials as opposed to 'equivalent' materials, and emphasize the fundamental (but sometimes overlooked) differences between these two categories of homogenized composite materials. The properties of an 'effective' material represents those of its composite material, regardless of the geometry and dimensions of the bulk materials and regardless of the orientations and polarization states of the illuminating electromagnetic fields. In contrast, the properties of 'equivalent' materials only represent those of their corresponding composite materials under certain restrictive circumstances.

This book reviews basic electromagnetic (EM) wave theory and applies it specifically to lasers in order to give the reader not only tangible examples of how the theory is manifested in real life, but also practical knowledge about lasers, and their operation and usage. The latter can be useful for those involved with using lasers. As a short treatise on this subject matter, this book is not intended to dwell deeply into the details of EM waves nor lasers. A bibliography is provided for those who wish to explore in more depth the topics covered in this book. Rather the aim of this book is to offer a quick overview, which will allow the reader to gain a competent general understanding of EM waves and lasers.

This book addresses the nature of sound, focusing on the characteristics of sound waves in the context of time structures. This time domain approach provides an informative and intuitively understandable description of various acoustic topics such as sound waves travelling in an acoustic tube or in other media where spectral or modal analysis can be intensively performed. Starting from the introductory topic of sinusoidal waves, it discusses the formal relationship between the time and frequency domains, summarizing the fundamental notions of Fourier or z-transformations and linear systems theory, along with interesting examples from acoustical research. The books novel approach is of interest to research engineers and scientists In particular, the expressions concerning waveforms including the impulse responses are important for audio engineers who are familiar with digital signal analysis. Every chapter includes simple exercises designed to be solved without the need for a computer. Thus they help reconfirm the fundamental ideas and notions present in every chapter. The book is self-contained and concise, and requires only basic knowledge of acoustics and signal processing, making it valuable as a textbook for graduate and undergraduate university courses.

The book presents a broad-scope analysis of piezoelectric electromechanical transducers and the related aspects of practical transducer design for underwater applications. It uses an energy method for analyzing transducer problems that provides the physical insight important for the understanding of electromechanical devices. Application of the method is first illustrated with transducer examples that can be modeled as systems with a single degree of freedom, (such as spheres, short cylinders, bars and flexural disks and plates made of piezoelectric ceramics). Thereupon, transducers are modeled as devices with multiple degrees of freedom. In all these cases, results of modeling are presented in the form of equivalent electromechanical circuits convenient for the calculation of the transducers' operational characteristics. Special focus is made on the effects of coupled vibrations in mechanical systems on transducer performance. The book also provides extensive coverage of acoustic radiation including acoustic interaction between the transducers. The book is inherently multidisciplinary. It provides essential background regarding the vibration of elastic passive and piezoelectric bodies, piezoelectricity, acoustic radiation, and transducer characterization. Scientists and engineers working in the field of electroacoustics and those involved in education in the field will find this material useful not only for underwater acoustics, but also for electromechanics, energy conversion and medical ultrasonics.