Alexander Mamonov: Nonlinear acoustic imaging via reduced order model backprojection

We introduce a novel nonlinear acoustic imaging method based on model order reduction. The reduced order model (ROM) is an orthogonal projection of the wave equation propagator on the subspace of snapshots of solutions of the acoustic wave equation. It can be computed entirely from the knowledge of the time domain data. The image is a backprojection of the ROM using the subspace basis for a known smooth kinematic velocity model. Implicit orthogonalization of solution snapshots is a nonlinear procedure that differentiates our approach from the conventional linear methods (Kirchhoff, reverse time migration – RTM). It allows for automatic removal of multiple reflection artifacts. It also doubles the resolution in range compared to conventional RTM.

Joint with V. Druskin, M. Zaslavsky (both at Schlumberger-Doll Research Center) and A. Thaler (Institute for Mathematics and its Applications)