Single Bubble Sonoluminescence and Bubble Surface Stability in Surfactant Solutions

Abstract

The radial dynamics of a single sonoluminescing bubble has been investigated in surfactant solutions. Experimental results show that an increase in the surfactant concentration leads to a decline in the oscillation amplitude and hence light emission intensity. Numerical simulations support this result, showing that under the driving pressures required to achieve single bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL), the surface properties, namely the surface elasticity and dilatational viscosity, contribute to the damping of the radial amplitude in the bubble oscillation. In most cases this stabilises the bubble surface, but leads to a decreased light intensity due to smaller oscillation amplitude. The appl..