The exponential factor removes the first spatial derivative. Apply the chain rule explicitly:while . Substituting into the supplied density equation, the terms proportional to cancel, leavingThis is the atmospheric acoustic cutoff transformation. There is a sign error in the target equation in the original PDF, as well as in the transcription: the last term must be for real positive . If the displayed minus sign is retained literally, coefficient matching would require , so it would not define a real characteristic oscillation period.
For the corrected equation, a plane wave has dispersion relationThus is the acoustic cutoff frequency: vertically propagating acoustic waves have . The scale height and sound speed have units metres and metres per second, respectively, so has units .
For an order-of-magnitude estimate in the lower terrestrial atmosphere, take and . These are representative atmospheric values, not additional data specified by the paper. They giveThe isothermal atmosphere approximation is local: a real atmospheric temperature profile and the thermodynamic response of the disturbance modify the precise cutoff and period.