Scattering of an acoustic wave from a thin rough circular disk is stud
ied using an integral equation method. The T matrix (transition matrix
), which governs the relation between the incident and scattered field
s, is determined using an integral representation of the Helmholtz equ
ation. The rough surface is modeled by a superposition of a number of
sinusoidal surfaces that are randomly translated and rotated with resp
ect to each other. Some numerical results for the scattered field are
presented in the case of an incident plane wave. One conclusion is tha
t the amplitude of the backscattered field is not only dependent on pa
rameters like frequency, angle of incidence, and overall characteristi
cs of the surface like rms height and correlation function. The exact
geometry of the rough object is also vitally important for its scatter
ing properties, which implies that a statistical approach to the probl
em is of limited value. (C) 1996 Acoustical Society of America.