Acoustic Spectral Smearing Method for Detecting Gas Ingress into Vacuum Systems Using Gas Medium Modification

This publication describes a method for detecting gas ingress locations in vacuum systems by modifying the gas medium near a suspected leakage and analyzing reproducible spectral smearing, spectral broadening, peak amplitude redistribution, dominant frequency changes, spectral centroid displacement, or reduction of spectral similarity in leakage-generated acoustic signals. The method is intended as a defensive disclosure to establish prior art.