Quantitative inverse problem in visco-acoustic media under attenuation model uncertainty

We consider the inverse problem of quantitative reconstruction of properties (e.g., bulk modulus, density) of visco-acoustic materials based on measurements of responding waves after stimulation of the medium. Numerical reconstruction is performed by an iterative minimization algorithm. Firstly, we investigate the robustness of the algorithm with respect to attenuation model uncertainty, that is, when different attenuation models are used to simulate synthetic observation data and for the inversion, respectively. Secondly, to handle data-sets with multiple reflections generated by wall boundaries around the domain, we perform inversion using complex frequencies, and show that it offers a robust framework that alleviates the difficulties of multiple reflections. To illustrate the efficiency of the algorithm, we perform numerical simulations of ultrasound imaging experiments to reconstruct a synthetic breast sample that contains an inclusion of high-contrast properties. We perform experiments in two and three dimensions, where the latter also serves to demonstrate the numerical feasibility in a large-scale configuration. •Comparison of attenuation models for time-harmonic wave propagation.•Implementation of quantitative parameter reconstruction in visco-acoustic media.•Reconstruction of parameters under attenuation model uncertainty.•Complex frequencies used for reconstruction in domain with reflecting boundaries.