The use of acoustics in space exploration

Abstract

In recent years increased attention has been paid to the potential uses of acoustics for
extraterrestrial exploration. The extent to which acoustics per se is used in these studies
varies greatly. First, there are the cases in which acoustics is simply the medium through
which some other time-varying non-acoustic signal (such as the output of a cosmic ray
detector) is communicated to humans. Second, perturbations in a non-acoustic signal (e.g.
EM) are interpreted through mechanisms relating to acoustic perturbations in the source
material itself. Third, some probes have made direct measurements of acoustic signals
which have been generated by the probe itself, as is done for example to infer the local
atmospheric sound speed from the time-of-flight of an acoustic pulses over a short
distance (O(10 cm)). Fourth, some studies have discussed ways of interpreting the
natural acoustic signals generated by the extraterrestrial environment itself. The report
discusses these cases and the limitations, implications and opportunities for
extraterrestrial exploration using acoustics.

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Identifiers

ORCID for T.G. Leighton: orcid.org/0000-0002-1649-8750

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