On the eigenmodes of periodic orbits for multiple scattering problems in 2D

Wave propagation and acoustic scattering problems require vast computational resources to be solved accurately at high frequencies. Asymptotic methods can make this cost potentially frequency independent by explicitly extracting the oscillatory properties of the solution. However, the high-frequency wave pattern becomes very complicated in the presence of multiple scattering obstacles. We consider a boundary integral equation formulation of the Helmholtz equation in two dimensions involving several obstacles, for which ray tracing schemes have been previously proposed. The existing analysis of ray tracing schemes focuses on periodic orbits between a subset of the obstacles. One observes that the densities on each of the obstacles approach an equilibrium with an increasing number of reflections. In this paper we present an asymptotic approximation of the phases of those densities in equilibrium, in the form of a Taylor series. The densities represent a full cycle of reflections in a periodic orbit. We initially exploit symmetry in the case of two circular scatterers, but also provide an explicit algorithm for a finite number of 2D obstacles satisfying suitable geometrical conditions. The coefficients, as well as the time to compute them, are independent of the wavenumber and of the incident wave. After further research, the results may be used to accelerate ray tracing schemes after a small number of initial iterations.status: publishe