A self-starter for the parabolic equation method

Abstract

An efficient method is developed for generating accurate starting fields for the parabolic equation (PE) method for both fluid and solid media. The self‐starter, which is constructed by solving a one‐dimensional boundary‐value problem (BVP) involving the PE operator, is more efficient than the normal‐mode starter, which requires the solution of a large number of similar BVPs. The self‐starter depends on the depth‐dependent properties of the medium and satisfies all interface and boundary conditions. Since the self‐starter is based on higher‐order parabolic approximations, it is accurate for problems involving wide propagation angles, large depth variations in the properties of the medium, low frequencies, interface waves, and the continuous spectrum.