CAVITATION DYNAMICS

On the left are shown results of 3-D simulations of bubbles forming high-speed jets due to ultrasound forcing. As the bubble collapses, an interfacial instability causes the surface to buckle and form an energetic jet that can damage nearby surfaces. The figure on the right shows the bubble shape at minimum volume for various acoustic forcing amplitudes. As the acoustic amplitude is increased, the degree of jetting also increases, yet the interior temperature is reduced because less energy is available in the fluid for compressive heating of the bubble contents.