Journal article
Radiation efficiency for long-range vocal communication in mammals and birds
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol.143(5), pp.2813-2824
05/01/2018
DOI: 10.1121/1.5034768
PMCID: PMC5948106
PMID: 29857705
Abstract
Long-distance vocal communication by birds and mammals, including humans, is facilitated largely by radiation efficiency from the mouth or beak. Here, this efficiency is defined and quantified. It depends on frequency content of vocalization, mouth opening, head and upper body geometry, and directionality. Each of these factors is described mathematically with a piston-in-a-sphere model. While this model is considered a classic, never before has the high frequency solution been applied in detail to vocalization. Results indicate that frequency content in the 1-50 kHz range can be radiated with nearly 100% efficiency if a reactance peak in the radiation impedance is utilized with adjustments of head size, mouth opening, and beam direction. Without these adjustments, radiation efficiency is generally below 1%, especially in human speech where a high fundamental frequency is a disadvantage for intelligibility. Thus, two distinct modes of vocal communication are identified, (1) short range with optimized information transfer and (2) long range with maximum efficiency for release of acoustic power. (C) 2018 Acoustical Society of America.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Radiation efficiency for long-range vocal communication in mammals and birds
- Creators
- Ingo R. Titze - University of UtahAnil Palaparthi - University of Utah
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol.143(5), pp.2813-2824
- DOI
- 10.1121/1.5034768
- PMID
- 29857705
- PMCID
- PMC5948106
- NLM abbreviation
- J Acoust Soc Am
- ISSN
- 0001-4966
- eISSN
- 1520-8524
- Publisher
- Acoustical Soc Amer Amer Inst Physics
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- R01 DC013573 / NIH NIDCD; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- School of Music; Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Record Identifier
- 9984719752302771
Metrics
2 Record Views