Source localization using the distribution of the interference invariant

S.D. Chuprov’s ‘‘beta’’ parameter, or interference invariant, has been used to characterize low‐frequency broadband acoustic propagation. Baggeroer showed the interference invariant was dependent on frequency, mode grouping, and environment. Rousseff and Spindel proposed representing the invariant as a distribution rather than a single parameter, as well as demonstrating via simulation how the invariant changed with receiver depth. This talk extends Rousseff and Spindel’s work to a shallow‐water source localization problem. A method of incoherently combining broadband energy for passive source tracking in range and depth utilizing the distribution of the interference invariant as an observable from a single hydrophone will be illustrated, along with relevant performance metrics. [Work sponsored by SAIC.]