Dynamics of dissolved gas in a cavitating fluid

A strong acoustic field in a liquid separates the liquid and dissolved gases by the formation of bubbles (cavitation). Bubble growth and collapse is the result of active exchange of gas and vapor through the bubble walls with the surrounding liquid. This paper details a new approach to the study of cavitation, not as an evolution of discrete bubbles, but as the dynamics of molecules constituting both the bubbles and the fluid. We show, by direct, independent measurement of the liquid and the dissolved gas, that the motions of dissolved gas (freon-22, CHClF2 ) and liquid (water) can be quite different during acoustic cavitation and are strongly affected by filtration or previous cavitation of the solvent. Our observations suggest that bubbles can completely refresh their content within two acoustic cycles and that long-lived ( approximately minutes) microbubbles act as nucleation sites for cavitation. This technique is complementary to the traditional optical and acoustical techniques.