Coyle Acoustics Research Lab

Research

From the launch pad to the practice room — real field data, real students, real science.

Rocket & launch acoustics

The sound of spaceflight

We measure and interpret the acoustic signatures of rocket launches — from near-field noise at the pad to infrasound recorded miles away in surrounding communities. Our field campaigns along Florida's Space Coast have included measurements of NASA's Space Launch System Artemis-I mission and commercial launch vehicles at Cape Canaveral, generating datasets that connect physics to real engineering and environmental questions.

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Research topics
  • Community-scale infrasound propagation
  • Frequency weighting & community noise metrics
  • Ground & structural response measurement
Musical acoustics

The physics of musical sound

We investigate how musical instruments produce sound — from the pressure dynamics inside a clarinet mouthpiece to standing wave behavior in organ flue pipes. Our work spans computational modeling, flow visualization, and automatic detection of performance techniques, connecting physics to music in ways that are both scientifically rigorous and genuinely fun.

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Research topics
  • Clarinet acoustics & playing frequency prediction
  • Articulation & legato transition detection
  • Flue pipe & organ acoustics
  • Flow visualization inside instruments
  • Mouthpiece pressure analysis

Grants & funding

External and internal funding supporting CARL research and undergraduate participation.

Rollins College
Critchfield Research Grant: Final Phase of Rocket Launch Noise Monitoring
2026-2027
City of Cape Canaveral
Rocket Noise Measurement Campaign
November 2025 – June 2026
National Science Foundation
NSF SPACE Supplement: To support undergraduate research in rocket noise propagation
2023–2024
National Science Foundation
NSF RUI: Undergraduate Research in Acoustics
2021–2024