What is the term for a disturbance that occurs when an object breaks the sound barrier?

The correct term for a disturbance that occurs when an object breaks the sound barrier is "sonic boom." When an object travels faster than the speed of sound, it creates pressure waves in front of it, which coalesce into a shock wave. This shock wave, when it passes an observer, is perceived as a sudden loud noise, known as a sonic boom.

The concept of a sonic wave refers to sound waves in general, but it doesn't specifically describe the phenomenon that happens when the sound barrier is broken. The Doppler effect pertains to the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source, and while it is related to sound, it does not describe the disturbance caused by breaking the sound barrier. Shock wave is indeed involved in the phenomenon but does not encompass the auditory impact experienced by observers, which is why "sonic boom" is the more accurate term for what is heard when the sound barrier is broken.