Phase-mixing of acoustic waves: From the solar tachocline to marine vessel hydroacoustics

Abstract

We adapt the \textit{magnetohydrodynamic} wave phase-mixing paradigm [Tsiklauri et al. (2003)] to investigate harmonic wave, Gaussian pulse, and hyperbolic pulse propagation and damping in media governed by transverse sound speed gradients. This universal mechanism is applied to two distinct problems using the harmonic wave phase-mixed solutions. First, we resolve the 26-year-old helioseismic mystery of low-degree global $p$-mode linewidth anomalies observed by BiSON above $\nu \approx 3000\,\mu\text{Hz}$, demonstrating that a localised, non-turbulent sound speed gradient in the solar tachocline shear zone acts as the necessary high-efficiency energy sink. Second, we translate this formalism into a terrestrial metamaterial fluid engineering design. We show that an engineered microstructured mesh or stern cowl generating a controlled radial sound speed gradient induces severe near-field phase-mixing. This collapses the traditional bulk viscous damping length of $100\text{-kHz}$ propeller acoustic signatures from several kilometres down to a practical design envelope of approximately $10\text{ metres}$, providing an actionable paradigm for compact stealth shielding. Finally, as an independent theoretical extension, we establish a new power-law scaling governing a hyperbolic secant-squared pulse evolution: under developed-stage phase-mixing, its peak wave envelope decays as $\max(P_1) \propto x^{-9/2}$.