The effect of cavity geometry on the nucleation of bubbles from cavities

Abstract

The heterogeneous nucleation of gas bubbles from cavities in a surface in contact with a liquid is a widely recognized phenomenon. This process has previously been theoretically analyzed extensively for a conical crevice, although in practice a wide range of cavity geometries might be expected. The method of analysis originally presented by Atchley and Prosperetti [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 86, 1065-1084 (1989)] for the unstable growth of a gas-liquid interface in a conical crevice is here extended to any axisymmetric cavity geometry and four such different geometries are analyzed. Although the method presented neglects gas transfer, and therefore is most directly suitable for acoustic cavitations, this method is still valuable in comparing the nucleation behavior of different cavity types. It is found that once the interface has emerged outside the cavity, its behavior is determined by the size of the cavity's opening. Given that the behavior of the interface once it is outside the cavity will also be determined by the local flow conditions, the threshold for unstable growth of the interface inside the cavity leading to its emergence is the important value and will determine differences between cavity geometries in practice, as shown in the examples presented.