Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Induction of Microstreaming by Nonspherical Bubble Oscillations in an Acoustic Levitation System
Published on: May 9, 2021
The fast dynamics of cavitation bubbles within water confined in elastic solids
Abstract:
Many applications such as ultrasonic cleaning or sonochemistry use the ability of bubbles to oscillate and drive liquid flow. But bubbles have also received attention in porous media, where drying may cause cavitation, a phenomenon occurring in plant tissues. Here we explore the dynamics of cavitation bubbles when the liquid is fully entrapped in an elastic solid, using light scattering, laser strobe photography and high speed camera recordings. Our experiments show unexpectedly fast bubble oscillations in volume. They depend on the confinement size and elasticity, which we explain with a simple model where liquid compressibility is a key parameter. We also observe rich non-spherical dynamics, with ejection away from the walls and bubble fragmentation, which reveal extreme fluid motion at short timescales.
Related Concept Videos
Speed of Sound in Solids and Liquids
Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave...
Excess Pressure Inside a Drop and a Bubble
Shock Waves
When the source's speed approaches the speed of sound, constructive interference between successive wavefronts emitted by the source occurs immediately behind it. Initially, scientists believed that this constructive interference would result in such high...
Standing Waves in a Cavity
Characteristics of Fluids

