Modeling the dynamics of single-bubble sonoluminescence

Sonoluminescence (SL) is the phenomenon in which acoustic energy is (partially) transformed into light. It may occur by means of many or just one bubble of gas inside a liquid medium, giving rise to the terms multi-bubble- and single-bubble sonoluminescence (MBSL and SBSL). In the last years some models have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, but there is still no complete theory for the light emission mechanism (especially in the case of SBSL). In this work, we will not address this more complicated particular issue, but only present a simple model describing the dynamical behaviour of the sonoluminescent bubble, in the SBSL case. Using simple numerical techniques within the software Matlab, we discuss solutions considering various possibilities for some of the parameters involved: liquid compressibility, superficial tension, viscosity, and type of gas. The model may be used as an introductory study of sonoluminescence in physics courses at undergraduate or graduate levels, as well as a quite clarifying example of a physical system exhibiting large nonlinearity.
10 pages, 5 figures. European Journal of Physics (2013)