Interactions of bubbles in acoustic Lichtenberg figure

Abstract

The evolution of acoustic Lichtenberg figure (ALF) in ultrasound fields is studied using high-speed photography. It is observed that bubbles travel along the branch to the aggregation region of an ALF, promoting the possibility of large bubble or small cluster formation. Large bubbles move away from the aggregation region while surrounding bubbles are attracted into this structure, and a bubble transportation cycle arises in the cavitation field. A simplified model consisting of a spherical cluster and a chain of bubbles is developed to explain this phenomenon. The interaction of the two units is analyzed using a modified expression for the secondary Bjerknes force in this system. The model reveals that clusters can attract bubbles on the chain within a distance of 2 mm, leading to a bubble transportation process from the chain to the bubble cluster. Many factors can affect this process, including the acoustic pressure, frequency, bubble density, and separation distance. The larger the bubble in the cluster, the broader the attraction region. Therefore, the presence of large bubbles might enhance the process in this system. Local disturbances in bubble density could destroy the ALF structure. The predictions of the model are in good agreement with the experimental phenomena.