Single-Bubble Sonoluminescence

Supervisor: Dr Brett Patterson

Applying a strong foucussedacoustic wave to a liquid can cause cavitation and the formation of a bubble of dissolved gas which undergoes resonant compression and expansion. Under suitable conditions, light is produced, visible to the naked eye. The light is pulsed, with a duration of about 20 ps. Several models to explain the origin of the light have been proposed, ranging from “cold fusion”, exotic quantum effects, to ionisation due to localised extreme temperature increase. This project aims to create controlled sonoluminescence and study its spectral, spatial and temporal properties, as well and optimising the strength of the SL with temperature, dissovedgas concentration, and acoustic signal.