Wave propagation in waveguides with random boundaries

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how small random boundary fluctuations in waveguides cause cumulative scattering effects, providing a statistical description of wave propagation differences from internal inhomogeneities.

Contribution

It introduces a method to quantify boundary scattering effects in waveguides with random boundaries, extending understanding beyond interior inhomogeneity models.

Findings

Quantitative description of boundary scattering effects

Differences between boundary and internal scattering

Method for analyzing waveguides with rough boundaries

Abstract

We give a detailed analysis of long range cumulative scattering effects from rough boundaries in waveguides. We assume small random fluctuations of the boundaries and obtain a quantitative statistical description of the wave field. The method of solution is based on coordinate changes that straighten the boundaries. The resulting problem is similar from the mathematical point of view to that of wave propagation in random waveguides with interior inhomogeneities. We quantify the net effect of scattering at the random boundaries and show how it differs from that of scattering by internal inhomogeneities.