On array design for matched-field processing

Conventional plane-wave beamforming array design guidelines are motivated b y the desire to obtain particular beampattern characteristics, such as main lobe width and side lobe levels. These design guidelines are appropriate f or arrays employed for beamforming, where a plane-wave signal model is util ized to derive both the array design parameters and the beamforming algorit hm. However, matched-field processing utilizes full-field acoustic propagat ion models to exploit the complexities of ocean acoustic propagation. As a result, there may be more appropriate design guidelines for arrays employed for matched-field processing. In this paper, general guidelines for matche d-field processing array design utilizing a normal mode propagation model a re proposed, Various line array configurations are evaluated with respect t o source localization performance, and the results suggest that arrays desi gned for matched-field processing should provide a unique representation of each propagating mode along the extent of the array. Further, the empirica l analyses support the guidelines suggested by the theoretical analyses and show that arrays which are far from meeting conventional beamforming array design requirements may be more than sufficient for matched-field processi ng. (C) 2000 Acoustical Society of America. [S0001-4966(00)00904-8].