Search

We consider the scattering of waves by a penetrable inclusion embedded in some reference medium. We exhibit examples of materials and geometries for which non-scattering frequencies exist, i.e., for which at some frequencies there are incident fields which produce null scattered fields outside of the inhomogeneity. We show in particular that certain domains with corners or even cusps can support non-scattering frequencies. We relate the latter, for some inclusions, to resonance frequencies for Dirichlet or Neumann cavities. We also find situations where incident non-scattering fields solve the Helmholtz equation in a neighborhood of the inhomogeneity and not in the whole space. Finally, in relation with invisibility, we give examples of inclusions of anisotropic materials which are non-scattering for all real frequencies. We prove that corresponding material indices must have a special structure on the boundary.

When an inverse problem is solved by a gradient-based optimization algorithm, the corresponding forward and adjoint problems, which are introduced to compute the gradient, can be also solved iteratively. The idea of iterating at the same time on the inverse problem unknown and on the forward and adjoint problem solutions yields the concept of one-shot inversion methods. We are especially interested in the case where the inner iterations for the direct and adjoint problems are incomplete, that is, stopped before achieving a high accuracy on their solutions. Here, we focus on general linear inverse problems and generic fixed-point iterations for the associated forward problem. We analyze variants of the so-called multi-step one-shot methods, in particular semi-implicit schemes with a regularization parameter. We establish sufficient conditions on the descent step for convergence, by studying the eigenvalues of the block matrix of the coupled iterations. Several numerical experiments are provided to illustrate the convergence of these methods in comparison with the classical gradient descent, where the forward and adjoint problems are solved exactly by a direct solver instead. We observe that very few inner iterations are enough to guarantee good convergence of the inversion algorithm, even in the presence of noisy data., Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2207.10372

We present algorithms for computing strongly singular and near-singular surface integrals over curved triangular patches, based on singularity subtraction, the continuation approach, and transplanted Gauss quadrature. We demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of our method for quadratic basis functions and quadratic triangles by integrating it into a boundary element code and solving several scattering problems in 3D. We also give numerical evidence that the utilization of curved boundary elements enhances computational efficiency compared to conventional planar elements.

This work formally investigates the differential evolution indicators as a tool for ultrasonic tracking of elastic transformation and fracturing in randomly heterogeneous solids. Within the framework of periodic sensing, it is assumed that the background contains (i) a multiply connected set of viscoelastic, anisotropic, and piecewise homogeneous inclusions, and (ii) a union of possibly disjoint fractures and pores. The support, material properties, and interfacial condition of scatterers in (i) and (ii) are unknown, while elastic constants of the matrix are provided. The domain undergoes progressive variations of arbitrary chemo-mechanical origins such that its geometric configuration and elastic properties at future times are distinct. At every sensing step $t_\circ, t_1, \ldots,$ multi-modal incidents are generated by a set of boundary excitations, and the resulting scattered fields are captured over the observation surface. The test data are then used to construct a sequence of wavefront densities by solving the spectral scattering equation. The incident fields affiliated with distinct pairs of obtained wavefronts are analyzed over the stationary and evolving scatterers for a suit of geometric and elastic evolution scenarios entailing both interfacial and volumetric transformations. The main theorem establishes the invariance of pertinent incident fields at the loci of static fractures and inclusions between a given pair of time steps, while certifying variation of the same fields over the modified regions. These results furnish a basis for theoretical justification of differential evolution indicators for imaging in complex composites which, in turn, enable the exclusive tomography of evolution in a background endowed with many unknown features.

We present an extension of the linear sampling method for solving the sound-soft inverse acoustic scattering problem with randomly distributed point sources. The theoretical justification of our sampling method is based on the Helmholtz--Kirchhoff identity, the cross-correlation between measurements, and the volume and imaginary near-field operators, which we introduce and analyze. Implementations in MATLAB using boundary elements, the SVD, Tikhonov regularization, and Morozov's discrepancy principle are also discussed. We demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of our algorithms with several numerical experiments in two dimensions.

This study formally adapts the time-domain linear sampling method (TLSM) for ultrasonic imaging of stationary and evolving fractures in safety-critical components. The TLSM indicator is then applied to the laboratory test data of [22, 18] and the obtained reconstructions are compared to their frequency-domain counterparts. The results highlight the unique capability of the time-domain imaging functional for high-fidelity tracking of evolving damage, and its relative robustness to sparse and reduced aperture data at moderate noise levels. A comparative analysis of the TLSM images against the multifrequency LSM maps of [22] further reveals that thanks to the full-waveform inversion in time and space, the TLSM generates images of remarkably higher quality with the same dataset.

In this work we are interested in general linear inverse problems where the corresponding forward problem is solved iteratively using fixed point methods. Then one-shot methods, which iterate at the same time on the forward problem solution and on the inverse problem unknown, can be applied. We analyze two variants of the so-called multi-step one-shot methods and establish sufficient conditions on the descent step for their convergence, by studying the eigenvalues of the block matrix of the coupled iterations. Several numerical experiments are provided to illustrate the convergence of these methods in comparison with the classical usual and shifted gradient descent. In particular, we observe that very few inner iterations on the forward problem are enough to guarantee good convergence of the inversion algorithm.

We derive conditional stability estimates for inverse scattering problems related to time harmonic magnetic Schr\"odinger equation. We prove logarithmic type estimates for retrieving the magnetic (up to a gradient) and electric potentials from near field or far field maps. Our approach combines techniques from similar results obtained in the literature for inhomogeneous inverse scattering problems based on the use of geometrical optics solutions.

We present algorithms for computing weakly singular and near-singular integrals arising when solving the 3D Helmholtz equation with curved boundary elements. These are based on the computation of the preimage of the singularity in the reference element's space using Newton's method, singularity subtraction, the continuation approach, and transplanted Gauss quadrature. We demonstrate the accuracy of our method for quadratic basis functions and quadratic triangles with several numerical experiments, including the scattering by two half-spheres.

We consider the problem of imaging a crack network embedded in some homogeneous background from measured multi-static far field data generated by acoustic plane waves. We propose two novel approaches that can be seen as extensions of linear sampling-type methods and that provide indicator functions which are sensitive to local cracks densities. The first approach uses multiple frequencies data to compute spectral signatures associated with artificially embedded localized obstacles. The second approach also exploits the idea of incorporating an artificial background but uses data for a single frequency. The indicator function is built using a similar concept as for differential sampling methods: compare the solution of the interior transmission problem for healthy inclusion with the one with embedded cracks. The performance of the methods is tested and discussed on synthetic examples and the numerical results are compared with the ones obtained using the classical factorization method.

Differential evolution indicators are introduced for 3D spatiotemporal imaging of micromechanical processes in complex materials where progressive variations due to manufacturing and/or aging are housed in a highly scattering background of a-priori unknown or uncertain structure. In this vein, a three-tier imaging platform is established where: (1) the domain is periodically (or continuously) subject to illumination and sensing in an arbitrary configuration; (2) sequential sets of measured data are deployed to distill segment-wise scattering signatures of the domain's internal structure through carefully constructed, non-iterative solutions to the scattering equation; and (3) the resulting solution sequence is then used to rigorously construct an imaging functional carrying appropriate invariance with respect to the unknown stationary components of the background e.g., pre-existing interstitial boundaries and bubbles. This gives birth to differential indicators that specifically recover the 3D support of micromechanical evolution within a network of unknown scatterers. The direct scattering problem is formulated in the frequency domain where the background is comprised of a random distribution of monolithic fragments. The constituents are connected via highly heterogeneous interfaces of unknown elasticity and dissipation which are subject to spatiotemporal evolution. The support of internal boundaries are sequentially illuminated by a set of incident waves and thus-induced scattered fields are captured over a generic observation surface. The performance of the proposed imaging indicator is illustrated through a set of numerical experiments for spatiotemporal reconstruction of progressive damage zones featuring randomly distributed cracks and bubbles.

We use the inside-outside duality approach proposed by Kirsch-Lechleiter to identify transmission eigenvalues associated with artificial backgrounds. We prove that for well chosen artificial backgrounds, in particular for the ones with zero index of refraction at the inclusion location, one obtains a necessary and sufficient condition characterizing transmission eigenvalues via the spectrum of the modified far field operator. We also complement the existing literature with a convergence result for the invisible generalized incident field associated with the transmission eigenvalues. This work is based on several of the pioneering works of our dearest colleague and friend Armin Lechleiter and is dedicated to his memory.

This paper considers the imaging of local perturbations of an infinite penetrable periodic layer. A cell of this periodic layer consists of several bounded inhomogeneities situated in a known homogeneous media. We use \mfied{a differential linear sampling method} to reconstruct the support of perturbations without using the Green's function of the periodic layer nor reconstruct the periodic background inhomogeneities. The justification of this imaging method relies on the well-posedeness of a nonstandard interior transmission problem, which until now was an open problem except for the special case when the local perturbation didn't intersect the background inhomogeneities. The analysis of this new interior transmission problem is the main focus of this paper. We then complete the justification of our inversion method and present some numerical examples that confirm the theoretical behavior of the differential indicator function determining the reconstructable regions in the periodic layer.

We are interested in the problem of retrieving information on the refractive index $n$ of a penetrable inclusion embedded in a reference medium from farfield data associated with incident plane waves. Our approach relies on the use of transmission eigenvalues (TEs) that carry information on $n$ and that can be determined from the knowledge of the farfield operator $F$. In this note, we explain how to modify $F$ into a farfield operator $F^{art}=F-\tilde{F}$, where $\tilde{F}$ is computed numerically, corresponding to well chosen artificial background and for which the associated TEs provide more accessible information on $n$.

In this paper we consider the transmission eigenvalue problem for Maxwell's equations corresponding to non-magnetic inhomogeneities with contrast in electric permittivity that has fixed sign (only) in a neighborhood of the boundary. We study this problem in the framework of semiclassical analysis and relate the transmission eigenvalues to the spectrum of a Hilbert-Schmidt operator. Under the additional assumption that the contrast is constant in a neighborhood of the boundary, we prove that the set of transmission eigenvalues is discrete, infinite and without finite accumulation points. A notion of generalized eigenfunctions is introduced and a denseness result is obtained in an appropriate solution space.

A non-iterative waveform sensing approach is proposed toward (i) geometric reconstruction of penetrable fractures, and (ii) quantitative identification of their heterogeneous contact condition by seismic i.e. elastic waves. To this end, the fracture support $\Gamma$ (which may be non-planar and unconnected) is first recovered without prior knowledge of the interfacial condition by way of the recently established approaches to non-iterative waveform tomography of heterogeneous fractures, e.g. the methods of generalized linear sampling and topological sensitivity. Given suitable approximation $\breve\Gamma$ of the fracture geometry, the jump in the displacement field across $\breve\Gamma$ i.e. the fracture opening displacement (FOD) profile is computed from remote sensory data via a regularized inversion of the boundary integral representation mapping the FOD to remote observations of the scattered field. Thus obtained FOD is then used as input for solving the traction boundary integral equation on $\breve\Gamma$ for the unknown (linearized) contact parameters. In this study, linear and possibly dissipative interactions between the two faces of a fracture are parameterized in terms of a symmetric, complex-valued matrix $\boldsymbol{K}(\boldsymbol{\xi})$ collecting the normal, shear, and mixed-mode coefficients of specific stiffness. To facilitate the high-fidelity inversion for $\boldsymbol{K}(\boldsymbol{\xi})$, a 3-step regularization algorithm is devised to minimize the errors stemming from the inexact geometric reconstruction and FOD recovery. The performance of the inverse solution is illustrated by a set of numerical experiments where a cylindrical fracture, endowed with two example patterns of specific stiffness coefficients, is illuminated by plane waves and reconstructed in terms of its geometry and heterogeneous (dissipative) contact condition.

A theoretical foundation is developed for active seismic reconstruction of fractures endowed with spatially-varying interfacial condition (e.g.~partially-closed fractures, hydraulic fractures). The proposed indicator functional carries a superior localization property with no significant sensitivity to the fracture's contact condition, measurement errors, and illumination frequency. This is accomplished through the paradigm of the $F_\sharp$-factorization technique and the recently developed Generalized Linear Sampling Method (GLSM) applied to elastodynamics. The direct scattering problem is formulated in the frequency domain where the fracture surface is illuminated by a set of incident plane waves, while monitoring the induced scattered field in the form of (elastic) far-field patterns. The analysis of the well-posedness of the forward problem leads to an admissibility condition on the fracture's (linearized) contact parameters. This in turn contributes toward establishing the applicability of the $F_\sharp$-factorization method, and consequently aids the formulation of a convex GLSM cost functional whose minimizer can be computed without iterations. Such minimizer is then used to construct a robust fracture indicator function, whose performance is illustrated through a set of numerical experiments. For completeness, the results of the GLSM reconstruction are compared to those obtained by the classical linear sampling method (LSM).

In this paper we consider the transmission eigenvalue problem for Maxwell's equations corresponding to non-magnetic inhomogeneities with contrast in electric permittivity that changes sign inside its support. We formulate the transmission eigenvalue problem as an equivalent homogeneous system of boundary integral equation, and assuming that the contrast is constant near the boundary of the support of the inhomogeneity, we prove that the operator associated with this system is Fredholm of index zero and depends analytically on the wave number. Then we show the existence of wave numbers that are not transmission eigenvalues which by an application of the analytic Fredholm theory implies that the set of transmission eigenvalues is discrete with positive infinity as the only accumulation point., Comment: 26 pages

This work is motivated by the monitoring of conductive clogging deposits in steam generator at the level of support plates. One would like to use monoaxial coils measurements to obtain estimates on the clogging volume. We propose a 3D shape optimization technique based on simplified parametrization of the geometry adapted to the measurement nature and resolution. The direct problem is modeled by the eddy current approximation of time-harmonic Maxwell's equations in the low frequency regime. A potential formulation is adopted in order to easily handle the complex topology of the industrial problem setting. We first characterize the shape derivatives of the deposit impedance signal using an adjoint field technique. For the inversion procedure, the direct and adjoint problems have to be solved for each coil vertical position which is excessively time and memory consuming. To overcome this difficulty, we propose and discuss a steepest descent method based on a fixed and invariant triangulation. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the convergence and the efficiency of the method.

We consider the interior transmission problem associated with the scattering by an inhomogeneous (possibly anisotropic) highly oscillating periodic media. We show that, under appropriate assumptions, the solution of the interior transmission problem converges to the solution of a homogenized problem as the period goes to zero. Furthermore, we prove that the associated real transmission eigenvalues converge to transmission eigenvalues of the homogenized problem. Finally we show how to use the first transmission eigenvalue of the period media, which is measurable from the scattering data, to obtain information about constant effective material properties of the periodic media. The convergence results presented here are not optimal. Such results with rate of convergence involve the analysis of the boundary correction and will be subject of a forthcoming paper.

We consider the inverse problem of estimating the shape profile of an unknown deposit from a set of eddy current impedance measurements. The measurements are acquired with an axial probe, which is modeled by a set of coils that generate a magnetic field inside the tube. For the direct problem, we validate the method that takes into account the tube support plates, highly conductive part, by a surface impedance condition. For the inverse problem, finite element and shape sensitivity analysis related to the eddy current problem are provided in order to determine the explicit formula of the gradient of a least square misfit functional. A geometrical-parametric shape inversion algorithm based on cylindrical coordinates is designed to improve the robustness and the quality of the reconstruction. Several numerical results are given in the experimental part. Numerical experiments on synthetic deposits, nearby or far away from the tube, with different shapes are considered in the axisymmetric configuration., Comment: 34

We consider the transmission eigenvalue problem for an impenetrable obstacle with Dirichlet boundary condition surrounded by a thin layer of non-absorbing inhomogeneous material. We derive a rigorous asymptotic expansion for the first transmission eigenvalue with respect to the thickness of the thin layer. Our convergence analysis is based on a Max-Min principle and an iterative approach which involves estimates on the corresponding eigenfunctions. We provide explicit expressions for the terms in the asymptotic expansion up to order three., Comment: 31 pages

We analyze the factorization method (introduced by Kirsch in 1998 to solve inverse scattering problems at fixed frequency from the far field operator) for a general class of boundary conditions that generalizes impedance boundary conditions. For instance, when the surface impedance operator is of pseudo-differential type, our main result stipulates that the factorization method works if the order of this operator is different from one and the operator is Fredholm of index zero with non negative imaginary part. We also provide some validating numerical examples for boundary operators of second order with discussion on the choice of the test function.

The considered Robin problem can formally be seen as a small perturbation of a Dirichlet problem. However, due to the sign of the impedance value, its associated eigenvalues converge point-wise to $-\infty$ as the perturbation goes to zero. We prove that in this case, Dirichlet eigenpairs are the only accumulation points of the Robin eigenpairs with normalized eigenvectors. We then provide a criteria to select accumulating sequences of eigenvalues and eigenvectors and exhibit their full asymptotic with respect to the small parameter.

We consider the inverse obstacle scattering problem of determining both the shape and the "equivalent impedance" from far field measurements at a fixed frequency. In this work, the surface impedance is represented by a second order surface differential operator (refer to as generalized impedance boundary condition) as opposed to a scalar function. The generalized impedance boundary condition can be seen as a more accurate model for effective impedances and is widely used in the scattering problem for thin coatings. Our approach is based on a least square optimization technique. A major part of our analysis is to characterize the derivative of the cost function with respect to the boundary and this complex surface impedance configuration. In particular, we provide an extension of the notion of shape derivative to the case where the involved impedance parameters do not need to be surface traces of given functions, which leads (in general) to a non-vanishing tangential boundary perturbation. The efficiency of considering this type of derivative is illustrated by several 2D numerical experiments based on a (classical) steepest descent method. The feasibility of retrieving both the shape and the impedance parameters is also discussed in our numerical experiments., Comment: SIAM J. Sci. Comp. 2012

We are interested in the identification of a Generalized Impedance Boundary Condition from the far--fields created by one or several incident plane waves at a fixed frequency. We focus on the particular case where this boundary condition is expressed with the help of a second order surface operator: the inverse problem then amounts to retrieve the two functions $\lambda$ and $\mu$ that define this boundary operator. We first derive a global Lipschitz stability result for the identification of $\ld$ or $\mu$ from the far--field for bounded piecewise constant impedance coefficients and we give a new type of stability estimate when inexact knowledge of the boundary is assumed. We then introduce an optimization method to identify $\lambda$ and $\mu$, using in particular a $H^1$-type regularization of the gradient. We lastly show some numerical results in two dimensions, including a study of the impact of some various parameters, and by assuming either an exact knowledge of the shape of the obstacle or an approximate one., Comment: Inverse Problems, 2011

This report is dedicated to the construction and analysis of so-called Generalized Impedance Boundary Conditions (GIBCs) used in electromagnetic scattering problems from imperfect conductors as higher order approximations of a perfect conductor condition. We consider here the 3-D case with Maxwell equations in a harmonic regime. The construction of GIBCs is based on a scaled asymptotic expansion with respect to the skin depth. The asymptotic expansion is theoretically justified at any order and we give explicit expressions till the third order. These expressions are used to derive the GIBCs. The associated boundary value problem is analyzed and error estimates are obtained in terms of the skin depth.