Incoherent source localization in random acoustic waveguides

We consider the problem of localizing one or more sources in a two-dimensional waveguide with horizontal flat boundaries and random sound speed fluctuations. Our data are the acoustic pressure field, measured on a vertical array of hydrophones that may span the entire depth of the waveguide or a part of it. We use randomness to model the effect of internal waves on the sound channel. Although the strength of the fluctuations is small, the transmitted signal is significantly affected from the multiple scattering of the waves with the random inhomogeneities, especially since we consider large propagation distances between the sources and the receiver array. Source localization is performed following an incoherent approach relying on a transport system of equations that describes wave propagation in random waveguides and that takes into account modal dispersion and energy transfer between modes.