Observation of cavitation bubbles and acoustic streaming in high intensity ultrasound fields

Abstract

We observed the behavior of acoustic cavitation by sonochemical luminescence and ultrasound B-mode imaging with ultrasound diagnostic equipment in a standing-wave ultrasound field and focused ultrasound field. Furthermore, in order to investigate the influence of acoustic streaming on acoustic cavitation bubbles, we performed flow analysis of the sound field using particle image velocimetry. We found that acoustic cavitation bubbles are stirred by circulating acoustic streaming and local vortexes occurring in the water tank of the standing-wave ultrasound exposure system. We considered that the acoustic cavitation bubbles are carried away by acoustic streaming due to the high ultrasound pressure in the focused ultrasound field.