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Impact transient

Definition

The acoustic energy released when the projectile strikes a surface. Its character depends on the target material (wood, concrete, soft tissue) and can indicate the bullet's final destination.

Related terms

Ballistic shockwave
An N-shaped pressure wave produced when a supersonic projectile displaces air faster than the air can move out of the way. It...
Confounder
A non-gunshot acoustic event that shares characteristics with a firearm discharge: vehicle backfire, fireworks, industrial tools, and tyre bursts are the most...
Muzzle blast
A broadband impulsive pressure wave generated when high-pressure propellant gases exit the barrel behind the projectile. It radiates roughly omnidirectionally and is...
ShotSpotter
A commercial urban acoustic gunshot detection and localisation network that processes impulsive events from distributed microphone arrays to estimate shooter location and...
TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival)
The difference in arrival time of a sound at two spatially separated receivers. Each measured TDOA constrains the sound source to lie...

Explained in

  • Gunshot and Event Audio AnalysisThe acoustic energy released when the projectile strikes a surface. Its character depends on the target material (wood, concrete, soft tissue) and can indicate...

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