| Abstract from DBPedia | A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to the human ear. A decibel is the primary unit measurement of sound. "A thunderclap is incredibly loud, producing levels between 100 and 120 dBA (decibels A)- the equivalent of standing near a jet during take-off." The crack of a supersonic bullet passing overhead or the crack of a bullwhip are examples of a sonic boom in miniature. Sonic booms due to large supersonic aircraft can be particularly loud and startling, tend to awaken people, and may cause minor damage to some structures. This led to prohibition of routine supersonic flight overland. Although they cannot be completely prevented, research suggests that with careful shaping of the vehicle, the nuisance due to the sonic booms may be reduced to the point that overland supersonic flight may become a feasible option. A sonic boom does not occur only at the moment an object crosses the sound barrier and neither is it heard in all directions emanating from the supersonic object. Rather, the boom is a continuous effect that occurs while the object is travelling at supersonic speeds and affects only observers that are positioned at a point that intersects a region in the shape of a geometrical cone behind the object. As the object moves, this conical region also moves behind it and when the cone passes over the observer, they will briefly experience the "boom".ソニックブーム（英: sonic boom）とは、超音速機の超音速飛行など、大気中を音速より速く移動する物体により発生する衝撃波が生む、轟くような大音響のこと。衝撃波以外の原因で生じる単発的な大音響を含める場合もある。 地上で観測される轟音は衝撃波が減衰したものと、地上の物体を衝撃波が広範囲に鳴動させて発生するものが主体で、空中の飛行機内などでは轟くような音にならない（何かがぶつかったように聞こえる）。 (Source: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Sonic_boom) |
