Research of the Array Gain for the Vertical Sensor Array Deployed in the Reliable Acoustic Path

Array gain for the vertical sensor array deployed in the reliable acoustic path (RAP) is simulated in this paper. A formula is developed to evaluate the vertical array gain based on the assumption that the ocean noise is Gaussian white and isotropic. The multiple-path structure in RAP is analyzed according to amplitudes and arrival times of each propagation path. In RAP, the main components of the sound field are direct wave and once-surface-reflected wave except the region from 15km to 30km, where bottom-reflected waves cannot be ignored. In most area of RAP, simulation results show that average correlation coefficients of the vertical line array are always high along the ray path and array gains are very close to the ideal value after proper phase shift. Array gain deduction may occur at some ranges where the interaction between the sound wave and the ocean bottom cannot be ignored. It has great application prospects in target detection for the vertical line array deployed in RAP.