Reflection of a spherical sound wave by an infinite elastic plate driven to vibration by a point force

This paper theoretically analyses the reflected sound field by an infinite elastic plate which generates its own sound field due to a point for ce excitation. The plate is a theoretical model for the stage floor. A closed form expression for the far-field solution was derived by coupling the Helmholtz equation for sound fields surrounding the plate and the equation of motion for the plate. The solution indicates that the field above the plate excited by a point force consists of the reflected sound by the plate at rest without the point force and the radiated sound from the plate excited bl? the point force. The general features of the field reflected by the vibrating plate with the point force excitation are discussed with the theoretical solution and numerical examples. The numerical examples are also presented to demonstrate the effects of the plate parameters on the sound field. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.