Acoustic interface contrast imaging

In acoustic reflectivity imaging, we infer the internal reflectivity of an unknown object from reflected waveforms. A common assumption is that the mass density is constant and that the recorded pressure field is related to a volume contrast in the wave speed by a nonlinear volume-integral representation. This representation is typically linearized under the Born approximation and solved for the volume contrast by iterative inversion. We propose an alternative methodology, which we refer to as interface contrast imaging. In our derivation, we assume a medium with constant wave speed, which contains discontinuities of the acoustic impedance at a collection of interfaces between piecewise-homogeneous subdomains. A linear relationship is established between the recorded data and the gradient of the acoustic impedance at the interfaces, which we refer to as an interface contrast. This contrast can be solved for by iterative inversion. With this procedure, acoustic interfaces can be delineated with superior resolution compared to volume contrast imaging. Since the convergence speed is relatively fast and a reasonable image can already be obtained after a single iteration, real-time applications seem feasible. If necessary, the acoustic impedance can also be imaged by integrating the retrieved reflectivity contrast over space.