Peculiarities of the Formation of the Interference Structure of Scalar-Vector Acoustic Fields on the Shelf of the Sea of Japan

The results of experimental study of the spatial structure of the scalar-vector acoustic field formed during towing of a tone low-frequency emitter over the shelf of the Sea of Japan are discussed. The experiment was accomplished by towing the source of a tone signal with a frequency of 134 Hz at a depth of 20 m over various acoustic tracks at distances up to 10 km from an integrated receiving system consisting of a receiver of acoustic pressure and three orthogonal components of the acoustic pressure gradient. Special attention has been focused on study of the interference structure of the scalar and vector fields with provision of the technical reliability of the method and the results of the experiment under controlled hydrological conditions. We discuss the quantitative characteristics and peculiarities of the interference formation along tracks that differ in depth. The unique results of comparing the horizontal and vertical components of the fields are most interesting of all. They allowed us to reveal the existence of eddy structures in the acoustic field of the source over several tracks. We analyze the possibility of practical application of the results of our research.