The microjetting behavior from single laser-induced bubbles generated above a solid boundary with a through hole

Abstract

An inertial bubble collapsing near a solid boundary generates a fast impulsive microjet directed toward the boundary. The jet impacts the solid boundary at a high velocity, and this effect has been taken advantage of in industrial cleaning such as when tiny bubbles are driven ultrasonically to cavitate around machined parts to produce jets that are believed to induce the cleaning effect. In this experimental investigation, we are interested in the jetting from single cavities near a boundary. By introducing a through hole in the boundary beneath a laser-induced bubble, it is hypothesized that the forming jet, upon bubble implosion, will proceed to penetrate through the hole to the other side and that it may be utilized in useful applications such as precise surgeries. It was found that the growth of the bubble induced a fast flow through the hole and lead to the formation of secondary hydrodynamic cavitation. The experiments also showed the formation of a counter jet directed away from the hole and into the bubble. During the growth phase of the bubble, and near the point of maximum expansion, the bubble wall bulged out toward the hole in a ‘bulb’ like formation, which sometimes resulted in the pinching-off of a secondary small bubble. This was ensued by the inward recoiling of the primary bubble wall near the pinch-off spot, which developed into a counter jet seen to move away from the hole and inward into the bubble.