A simple method for visualizing multiple three dimensional objects from near-field data with point source excitation

A simple method is presented for visualizing multiple three dimensional obj ects from near-field measurements of the scattered field with point source excitation. In the method, the support of a spatially dependent function is used as a reliable indicator of the visualization of the obstacle where th e spatially dependent function has larger values inside the obstacle than o utside. This visualization scheme is very simple and fast since the determi nation of the spatially dependent function requires only solving a linear s ystem and is independent of any prior knowledge about the geometry and phys ical properties of the obstacle. Another attractive feature of the method i s that it only uses knowledge of the acoustic near-field data at a finite n umber of incidence and observation points distributed over a limited area. Numerical examples based on synthetic near-field data are given, showing th e practicality and efficiency of the inversion approach.