Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Induction of Microstreaming by Nonspherical Bubble Oscillations in an Acoustic Levitation System
Published on: May 9, 2021
Stability of a sonoluminescing nitrogen bubble in chilled water
Joachim Holzfuss1, Mogens T Levinsen
1Institut für Angewandte Physik, TU Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstrasse 7, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany.
Abstract:
Bubbles are levitated in a resonator driven by an ultrasound wave. Their highly nonlinear oscillations feature a strong collapse, where fluidlike densities and temperatures of several thousand degrees Kelvin are reached, resulting in the emission of ultrashort light pulses. Previous experiments and theories explained the observed stable bubble dynamic and emission on long time scales with the requirement of a noble gas. Recent experiments reveal stable sonoluminescent emission of nitrogen bubbles in chilled water without the presence of a noble gas. Numerical calculations show that a diffusive and dissociative equilibrium can be reached when the temperature within a nitrogen bubble is limited due to the presence of water vapor. Calculated stability lines agree with published experimental results. The results show that noble-gas-free stable single bubble sonoluminescence of nitrogen bubbles is possible.
Related Concept Videos
Buoyancy and Stability for Submerged and Floating Bodies
The Equilibrium Constant
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave propagating...
Steady, Laminar Flow in Circular Tubes
