Axial vibrations of brass wind instrument bells and their acoustical influence: Experiments.

It has recently been proposed that the effects of structural vibrations on the radiated sound of brass wind instruments may be attributable to axial modes of vibration with mode shapes that contain no radial nodes [Kausel, Chatziioannou, Moore, Gorman, and Rokni, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137, 3149-3162 (2015)]. Results of experiments are reported that support this theory. Mechanical measurements of a trumpet bell demonstrate that these axial modes do exist in brass wind instruments. The quality factor of the mechanical resonances can be on the order of 10 or less, making them broad enough to encompass the frequency range of previously reported effects attributed to bell vibrations. Measurements of the input impedance show that damping bell vibrations can result in impedance changes of up to 5%, in agreement with theory. Measurements of the acoustic transfer function demonstrate that the axial vibrations couple to the internal sound field as proposed, resulting in changes in the transfer function of approximately 1 dB. In agreement with theory, a change in the sign of the effect is observed at the frequency of the structural resonance.