Acoustic-emission events in core samples are detected from total wave energy by time reversal mirror (TRM) inversion using equations of the elastodynamic theory in polar coordinates. The acoustic emission parameters used in the modeling correspond to laboratory testing data on core samples. The simulation results for digital core have implications for the configuration of multichannel data acquisition, including the optimal number of receivers or channels and the placement of sensors. Testing with different numbers of receivers/channels and at different frequencies shows that the method can provide satisfactory resolution even at a relatively low frequency.
