Collapse dynamics of smectic-A bubbles

The collapse dynamics of smectic-A bubbles are analyzed experimentally and theoretically. Each bubble is expanded from a flat film stretched at the end of a hollow cylinder and deflated through a pressure release by means of a capillary tube. Its total collapse time can be varied between 0.1s and 20s by suitably choosing the length and the internal diameter of the capillary. This experiment allowed us to show that the collapse takes place in two steps: an initial one, which lasts a fraction of a second, where the meniscus destabilizes and fills up with focal conics, followed by a much longer period during which the bubble collapses and exchanges material with the meniscus. By measuring simultaneously the Laplace pressure and the internal pressure inside the bubble, we were able to fully characterize the shear-thinning behavior of the smectic phase within the meniscus. We emphasize that this method is generic and could be applied as well to other systems such as soap bubbles, on condition that inertial effects are negligible.     

Nonlinear effects in the dynamics of clouds of bubbles

This paper presents a spectral analysis of the response of a fluid containing bubbles to the motions of a wall oscillating normal to itself. First, a Fourier analysis of the Rayleigh-Plesset equation is used to obtain an approximate solution for the nonlinear effects in the oscillation of a single bubble in an infinite fluid. This is used in the approximate solution of the oscillating wall problem, and the resulting expressions are evaluated numerically in order to examine the nonlinear effects. Harmonic generation results from the nonlinearity. It is observed that the bubble natural frequency remains the dominant natural frequency in the volume oscillations of the bubbles near the wall. On the other hand, the pressure perturbations near the wall are dominated by the first and second harmonics present at twice the natural frequency while the pressure perturbation at the natural frequency of the bubble is inhibited. The response at the forcing frequency and its harmonics is explored along with the variation with amplitude of wall oscillation, void fraction, and viscous and surface tension effects. Splitting and cancellation of frequencies of maximum and minimum response due to enhanced nonlinear effects are also observed.     

Molecular dynamics analysis of the substrate temperature effect on thermomechanical characteristics of vapor deposited nanofilms

Modern engineering applications are in need for technologies of nanostructures and nanofilms with controllable properties. The detection of these structures requires methods of atomic research, among which are molecular dynamics techniques, Monte-Carlo simulation, and ab initio calculation. The most efficient method to deal with systems of about several thousands of atoms is molecular dynamics simulation. We used this method to analyze the formation of nanolayers on a Cu substrate in vapor deposition of Cu atoms. It is shown that the film deposited on the substrate surface replicates the crystalline structure of the substrate. It is found that at low deposition temperatures, the deposited layer reveals a great quantity of vacancies and vacancy clusters (nanopores). It is demonstrated that increasing the substrate temperature in metal vapor deposition ensures a more perfect lattice in the nanocoating, and the cohesive energy of atoms in the nanolayer thus approximates experimental values. It is also found that the increase in substrate temperature in the process causes Young’s modulus and elastic limit to tend to the values of a perfect crystal.     

A model for the dynamics of gas bubbles in soft tissue

Understanding the behavior of cavitation bubbles driven by ultrasonic fields is an important problem in biomedical acoustics. Keller-Miksis equation, which can account for the large amplitude oscillations of bubbles, is rederived in this paper and combined with a viscoelastic model to account for the strain-stress relation. The viscoelastic model used in this study is the Voigt model. It is shown that only the viscous damping term in the original equation needs to be modified to account for the effect of elasticity. With experiment determined viscoelastic properties, the effects of elasticity on bubble oscillations are studied. Specifically, the inertial cavitation thresholds are determined using R(max)/R(0), and subharmonic signals from the emission of an oscillating bubble are estimated. The results show that the presence of the elasticity increases the threshold pressure for a bubble to oscillate inertially, and subharmonic signals may only be detectable in certain ranges of radius and pressure amplitude. These results should be easy to verify experimentally, and they may also be useful in cavitation detection and bubble-enhanced imaging.     

Statics and dynamics of adhesion between two soap bubbles

An original set-up is used to study the adhesive properties of two hemispherical soap bubbles put into contact. The contact angle at the line connecting the three films is extracted by image analysis of the bubbles profiles. After the initial contact, the angle rapidly reaches a static value slightly larger than the standard 120^° angle expected from Plateau rule. This deviation is consistent with previous experimental and theoretical studies: it can be quantitatively predicted by taking into account the finite size of the Plateau border (the liquid volume trapped at the vertex) in the free energy minimization. The visco-elastic adhesion properties of the bubbles are further explored by measuring the deviation Δθ_d(t) of the contact angle from the static value as the distance between the two bubbles supports is sinusoidally modulated. It is found to linearly increase with Δr _c/r _c , where r_c is the radius of the central film and Δr _c the amplitude of modulation of this length induced by the displacement of the supports. The in-phase and out-of-phase components of Δθ_d(t) with the imposed modulation frequency are systematically probed, which reveals a transition from a viscous to an elastic response of the system with a crossover pulsation of the order 1rad · s^-1. Independent interfacial rheological measurements, obtained from an oscillating bubble experiment, allow us to develop a model of dynamic adhesion which is confronted to our experimental results. The relevance of such adhesive dynamic properties to the rheology of foams is briefly discussed using a perturbative approach to the Princen 2D model of foams.     

Numerical simulations of the aspherical collapse of laser and acoustically generated bubbles

The details of nonlinear axisymmetric oscillations and collapse of bubbles subject to large internal or external pressure disturbances, are studied via a boundary integral method. Weak viscous effects on the liquid side are accounted for by integrating the equations of motion across the boundary layer that is formed adjacent to the interface. Simulations of single-cavitation bubble luminescence (SCBL) and single-bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) are performed under conditions similar to reported experimental observations, aiming at capturing the details of bubble collapse. It is shown that any small initial deviation from sphericity, modeled through a small initial elongation along the axis of symmetry, may result in the formation and impact of two counter-propagating jets during collapse of the bubble, provided the amplitude of the initial disturbance is large enough and the viscosity of the surrounding fluid is small enough. Comparison between simulations and experimental observations show that this is the case for bubbles induced via a nano-second laser pulse (SCBL) during a luminescence event. In a similar fashion, simulations show that loss of sphericity accompanied with jet formation and impact during collapse is also possible with acoustically trapped bubbles in a standing pressure wave (SBSL), due to the many afterbounces of the bubble during its collapse phase. In both cases jet impact occurs as a result of P(2) growth in the form of an afterbounce instability. When the sound amplitude is decreased or liquid viscosity is increased the intensity of the afterbounce is decreased and jet impact is suppressed. When the sound amplitude is increased jet formation is superceded by Rayleigh-Taylor instability. In the same context stable luminescence is quenched in experimental observations. In both SCBL and SBSL simulations the severity of jet impact during collapse is quite large, and its local nature quite distinct. This attests to the fact that it is an energy focusing mechanism whose importance in generating the conditions under which a luminescence event is observed should be further investigated.     

Non-Markovian dynamics in a dense potassium vapor

Transient four-wave mixing experiments on a dense potassium vapor, which has a dephasing time long compared to the collision duration, reveal distinct signatures of non-Markovian dynamics. Theoretical fits assuming stochastic fluctuation of the excited-state frequencies confirm that the two-time correlation function has a finite temporal width.     

Non-Markovian dynamics in a dense atomic vapor

Two- and three-pulse photon echo spectroscopy in a dense potassium vapor reveals a non-Markovian correlation function of frequency fluctuations. Through comparison with calculations using an exciton picture a slowly-decaying component of the correlation function is attributed to long-range resonant interactions. A time-resolved photon echo experiment shows the photon-echo-like behavior at short timescales.     

Numerical analysis of the spreading and crystallization dynamics of the modified metal droplet on the substrate

A physical and mathematical model is proposed and numerical investigations are carried out for processes of the deformation and non-equilibrium crystallization of a liquid metal drop with modifying refractory solid nano-inclusions at its collision with a solid substrate under the typical conditions of the gas-thermal and also plasma-sprayed coating. An analysis of the formation of splats is carried out depending on the substrate temperature.     

Numerical simulations of acoustic cavitation noise with the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles

Numerical simulations of cavitation noise have been performed under the experimental conditions reported by Ashokkumar et al. (2007) [26]. The results of numerical simulations have indicated that the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles results in the broad-band noise. “Transient” cavitation bubbles, which disintegrate into daughter bubbles mostly in a few acoustic cycles, generate the broad-band noise as their short lifetimes cause the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles. Not only active bubbles in light emission (sonoluminescence) and chemical reactions but also inactive bubbles generate the broad-band noise. On the other hand, “stable” cavitation bubbles do not generate the broad-band noise. The weaker broad-band noise from a low-concentration surfactant solution compared to that from pure water observed experimentally by Ashokkumar et al. is caused by the fact that most bubbles are shape stable in a low-concentration surfactant solution due to the smaller ambient radii than those in pure water. For a relatively high number density of bubbles, the bubble–bubble interaction intensifies the broad-band noise. Harmonics in cavitation noise are generated by both “stable” and “transient” cavitation bubbles which pulsate nonlinearly with the period of ultrasound.     

A level set method for vapor bubble dynamics

This paper describes a finite-difference computational method suitable for the simulation of vapor–liquid (or gas–liquid) flows in which the dynamical effects of the vapor can be approximated by a time-dependent, spatially uniform pressure acting on the interface. In such flows it is not necessary to calculate the velocity and temperature fields in the vapor (or gas). This feature simplifies the solution of the problem and permits the computational effort to be focussed on the temperature field, upon which the interfacial mass flux is critically dependent. The interface is described by a level set method modified with a high-order “subcell fix” with excellent mass conservation properties. The use of irregular stencils is avoided by suitably extrapolating the velocity and temperature fields in the vapor region. Since the accurate computation of momentum effects does not require the same grid refinement as that of the temperature field, the velocity field is interpolated on a finer grid used for the temperature calculation. Several validation and grid refinement axi-symmetric tests are described which demonstrate the intended first-order time, second-order space accuracy of the method. As an illustration of the capabilities of the computational procedure, the growth and subsequent collapse of a laser-generated vapor bubble in a microtube are described.     

Model for the dynamics of two interacting axisymmetric spherical bubbles undergoing small shape oscillations

Interaction between acoustically driven or laser-generated bubbles causes the bubble surfaces to deform. Dynamical equations describing the motion of two translating, nominally spherical bubbles undergoing small shape oscillations in a viscous liquid are derived using Lagrangian mechanics. Deformation of the bubble surfaces is taken into account by including quadrupole and octupole perturbations in the spherical-harmonic expansion of the boundary conditions on the bubbles. Quadratic terms in the quadrupole and octupole amplitudes are retained, and surface tension and shear viscosity are included in a consistent manner. A set of eight coupled second-order ordinary differential equations is obtained. Simulation results, obtained by numerical integration of the model equations, exhibit qualitative agreement with experimental observations by predicting the formation of liquid jets. Simulations also suggest that bubble-bubble interactions act to enhance surface mode instability.     

COIL超声速流动的水汽凝结效应数值模拟

 在开发的化学氧碘激光器3维化学反应流程序中增设水汽凝结功能,模拟了以氦气和氮气作稀释气体条件下,基于RADICL装置喷管中含水汽凝结的流动。模拟结果给出了水汽凝结形成的5种尺寸液滴的数密度分布及流场各物理量分布,比较了有无水汽凝结时气流的压力、温度、增益分布的变化。模拟结果发现,凝结使气流温度在靠近喉部的下游升高,增益峰值增高。     

Numerical simulation of the intramolecular dynamics of photoisomerization

The results of mixed quantum-classical and quantum-mechanical numerical calculations of the intramolecular dynamics of photoisomerization under conditions similar to ordinary natural conditions, i.e., for irradiation of the molecule by a light pulse not shorter than the lifetime of the resonant excited electronic state of the molecule and with an intensity comparable to that of solar light at the Earth’s surface, are presented. It was concluded that the dynamics of such photoisomerization should be modeled using quantum-mechanical methods. The simplest approach to modeling the photoisomerization of a molecule with two isomeric forms can be based on the density matrix formalism for describing the interaction of a light pulse with a three-level system of Λ configuration.     

Numerical analysis of the effects of carrier dynamics on the switch-on and gain-switching of quantum dot lasers

A systematic analysis of the influence of the capture, inter-level relaxation and exciton dephasing time constants on the dynamic behavior of quantum dot Fabry-Perot semiconductor lasers is done taking into account the lasing from the ground and excited states. The simulation results show that the carrier time constants studied influence significantly the static characteristic of the laser, its switch-on response and the pulses generated by gain-switching.