AURALIZATION OF SONIC CRYSTALS THROUGH SIMULATION OF ACOUSTIC BAND GAPS IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL PERIODIC SCATTERING ARRAYS

Sonic crystals have been investigated in recent years both as a potential form of noise barrier, and as a form of sonic art aimed at enhancing perception of the surrounding acoustic environment. The broader aim of this research is concerned with the auralization of these structures, which has, as yet, rarely been attempted. In this paper, prediction of the acoustic wave propagation through 2-dimensional arrays of solid, cylindrical scatterers embedded in air is performed using the Impulse Response method in 2-D Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations. The center frequencies of the band gaps show good correspondence with their predicted locations - these being based on simple theoretical considerations that relate the frequency of the transmission gaps to the spacing between the arrays. The measured Impulse Responses are subsequently convolved with anechoic material in order to render some preliminary auralizations of the sonic crystal structures. The success of the technique is considered for future work.