Aeroacoustics is a branch of acoustics that studies noise generation via either turbulent fluid motion or aerodynamic forces interacting with surfaces. Noise generation can also be associated with periodically varying flows. Although no complete scientific theory of the generation of noise by aerodynamic flows has been established, most practical aeroacoustic analysis relies upon the so-called Acoustic Analogy, whereby the governing equations of motion of the fluid are coerced into a form reminiscent of the wave equation of "classical" (i.e. linear) acoustics. The most common approach of accomplishing this is through Lighthill's aeroacoustic analogy. It was proposed by James Lighthill in the 1950s when noise generation associated with the jet engine was beginning to be placed under scientific scrutiny. Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA) is the application of numerical methods and computers to find approximate solutions of the governing equations for specific (and likely complicated) aeroacoustic problems.

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