Inverse scattering analysis with an acoustic time-reversal mirror

Time-reversal mirror (TRM) utilizes time-reversal invariance of wave equation. Acoustic TRM are made of large transducer arrays allowing the incident acoustic field to be sampled, time reversed, and reemitted. The ability of TRM to time reverse separately each scattered wave permits us to isolate spatially and temporally the equivalent sources of extended scatterer illuminated by broadband pulse. We investigate more particulary the problem of a cylindrical scatterer: We show that TRM allows us to determine the location of the mode conversions of incident waves into circumferential waves.