Observation of the Formation of Multiple Shock Waves at the Collapse of Cavitation Bubbles for Improvement of Energy Convergence

Abstract

The collapse of a cavitation bubble is always associated with the radiation of intense shock waves, which are highly relevant in a variety of applications. To radiate a strong shock wave, it is necessary to converge energy at the collapse, and understanding generation processes of multiple shock waves at the collapse is a key issue. In the present study, we investigated the formation of multiple shock waves generated by the collapse of a laser-induced bubble. We used a high-speed imaging system with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. We developed a triggering procedure of high precision and reproducibility based on the deflection of a laser beam by the shockwave passage. The high-speed videos clearly show that: (A) a first shockwave is emitted as the micro-jet hits the bottom of the bubble interface, followed by a second shock wave due to the collapse of the remaining toroidal bubble; (B) a sequential collapse of elongated bubbles, where the top part of the bubble collapses slightly before the bottom of the bubble; and (C) the formation of compression shock waves from multiple sites on a toroidal bubble.