A review of impact noise

In this paper, available literature concerned with impact noise generation and control is reviewed with emphasis on generation mechanisms. Basic research studies are considered under five different classes according to the mechanism of sound generation. These are air ejection, rigid body radiation, radiation due to rapid surface deformations, pseudo-steady-state radiation, and sound radiation due to material fracture. A brief characterization of impact sounds in addition to a description of efforts to standardize impact noise exposure criteria is given in the Introduction. A bibliography on impact noise control is included in order to permit assessment of the state of the art.