Energy streamlines for qualitative inverse scattering in fluids and solids

Abstract

In time-harmonic acoustic fields, energy streamlines are defined as the integral curves of the power-flux density vector, averaged over a period. They provide a tool to visualize the details of propagation of energy. After reviewing the role of energy streamlines in the linear sampling method for acoustic inverse scattering, this work formulates a physical interpretation of the same qualitative method in the case of an isotropic homogeneous solid matrix. Specifically, it is shown that the linear sampling method results from conservation of energy along streamline tubes of energy flow associated with elastic waves.