Robustness of computational time reversal imaging in media with elastic constant uncertainties

In order to image a source or a scatterer embedded in a three dimensional solid, acoustic/elastic wave data from an actual experiment are time reversed and backpropagated through a numerical model of the medium. The model makes use of estimates for the elastic constants of the laboratory solid. These estimates may not be very precise, for example, due to experimental uncertainties. Poor characterization of the medium leads to the degradation of the time reversal focus, therefore, to poor medium imaging. In this work, we report on the results of investigating the time reversal focus degradation as the estimates depart from the real values. Very small deviations from the medium’s actual elastic constants degrade the time reversal focus dramatically. However, decreasing the total duration of the signals used for time reversal can attenuate the degradation in some cases. We propose a new method to compensate for the deviations of the model medium’s elastic constants from the actual values. Finally, we explore the effects of scatterers that may exist in the laboratory medium, but are not included in the model medium, and show that their presence does not produce significant effects on the time reversal focus.