ASA 127th Meeting M.I.T. 1994 June 6-10

4aPA1. A novel technique for measuring the maximum radius of a sonoluminescing bubble.

Sean M. Cordry

Dept. of Phys. and Astron., Univ. of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

Lawrence A. Crum

Ronald A. Roy

Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105

Single bubbles are acoustically levitated in a rectangular standing wave resonator filled with clean liquid that has been ``degassed.'' The acoustic pressure of the sound field induces radial oscillations in the bubble of sufficient magnitude to cause them to sonoluminesce. Measurements of the maximum diameter are then made using a video imaging system composed of a microscope, CCD, and digitizing computer. These diameter measurements are compared to the light emission intensity as measured by a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and single photon counter (SPC). Both measurements of light intensity and diameter are made for pure water and several aqueous solutions. The results of this experiment as well as the accuracy and precision will be discussed. [Work supported by ONR.]