Shape Oscillations of Bubbles in Water Driven by Modulated Ultrasonic Radiation Pressure and Applications to Interfacial Dynamics

Acoustic levitation techniques were used for static and dynamic studies of single air bubbles in aqueous solutions. Bubble sizes ranged from 0.3 to 6 mm in radius. The static position of a bubble, determined by the balance between the buoyant and acoustic forces, agrees well with existing theory. Measured bubble aspect ratios are a nonmonotonic increasing function of bubble size and agree well with an improved expression based on the radiation stress tensor. Small amplitude normal mode shape oscillations were induced by modulation of the acoustic radiation pressure and were detected by optical pseudo-extinction and optical interferometry techniques. Driven oscillation frequencies for bubbles in clean water agree well with Lamb theory although significant frequency shifts occur for bubbles of large aspect ratio (_sp{~ }{>}1.3). An improved asymptotic expansion, important for bubbles in fluids and for liquid drops in air, was obtained for the complex free decay frequency. The free decay of quadrupole shape oscillations was measured for nearly spherical bubbles (aspect ratio ~ 1.01) in clean water, clean salt water, sea water, and in the presence of surfactants. Bubbles in clean solutions exhibit behavior indicative of an ideal clean interface. Frequency shifts and excess damping were observed for bubbles in sea water, in aqueous solutions of Triton X-100, and for a bubble coated with the insoluble surfactant stearic acid. The damping and frequency exhibit nonmonotonic behavior with respect to interfacial surfactant coverage; maxima occur at coverages which do not significantly affect the surface tension. At large coverages the damping is increased and the frequency is reduced relative to theoretical expectations for a clean ideal interface at constant surface tension. These results are in qualitative agreement with theories incorporating interfacial viscoelastic effects and with planar-surface capillary ripple experiments which also exhibit maxima in the damping as a function of volume concentration or surface coverage. Dissolution rates of bubbles were affected by the presence of surfactants and by driven shape oscillations.