Coupled dynamics of translation and collapse of acoustically driven microbubbles

Pressure gradients drive the motion of microbubbles relative to liquids in which they are suspended. Examples include the hydrostatic pressure due to a gravitational field, and the pressure gradients in a sound field, useful for acoustic levitation. In this paper, the equations describing the coupled dynamics of radial oscillation and translation of a microbubble are given. The formulation is based on a recently derived expression for the hydrodynamic force on a bubble of changing size in an incompressible liquid [J. Magnaudet and D. Legendre, Phys. Fluids 10, 550-556 (1998)]. The complex interaction between radial and translation dynamics is best understood by examination of the added momentum associated with the liquid motion caused by the moving bubble. Translation is maximized when the bubble collapses violently. The new theory for coupled collapse and translation dynamics is compared to past experiments and to previous theories for decoupled translation dynamics. Special attention is paid to bubbles of relevance in biomedical applications.     

Optimization of acoustic scattering from dual-frequency driven microbubbles at the difference frequency

The second harmonic radiation of acoustically driven bubbles is a useful discriminant for their presence in clinical ultrasound applications. It is useful because the scatter from a bubble at a frequency different from the driving can have a contrast-to-tissue ratio better than at the drive frequency. In this work a technique is developed to optimize the scattering from a microbubble at a frequency different from the driving. This is accomplished by adjusting the relative phase and amplitudes of the components of a dual-frequency incident ultrasound wave form. The investigation is focused primarily on the example of dual-mode driving at frequencies of 1 MHz and 3 MHz, with the scattering optimized at 2 MHz. Bubble radii of primary interest are 0.5 to 2 microm and driving amplitudes to 0.5 atm. Bubbles in this size range are sensitive to modulation of driving. It is shown that an optimal forcing scheme can increase the target response eightfold or more. This suggests new applications in imaging and in bubble detection.     

Nonlinear oscillation characteristics of magnetic microbubbles under acoustic and magnetic fields

Microbubbles loaded with magnetic nanoparticles (MMBs) have attracted increasing interests in multimode imaging and drug/gene delivery and targeted therapy. However, the dynamic behaviors generated in diagnostic and therapeutic applications are not clear. In the present work, a novel theoretical model of a single MMB was developed, and the dynamic responses in an infinite viscous fluid were investigated under simultaneous exposure to magnetic and acoustic fields. The results showed that the amplitude reduces and the resonant frequency increases with the strength of the applied steady magnetic field and the susceptibility of the magnetic shell. However, the magnetic field has a limited influence on the oscillating. It is also noticed that the responses of MMB to a time-varying magnetic field is different from a steady magnetic field. The subharmonic components increase firstly and then decrease with the frequency of the magnetic field and the enhanced effect is related to the acoustic driving frequency. It is indicated that there may be a coupling interaction effect between the acoustic and magnetic fields.     

Cavitation microstreaming and stress fields created by microbubbles

Cavitation microstreaming plays a role in the therapeutic action of microbubbles driven by ultrasound, such as the sonoporative and sonothrombolytic phenomena. Microscopic particle-image velocimetry experiments are presented. Results show that many different microstreaming patterns are possible around a microbubble when it is on a surface, albeit for microbubbles much larger than used in clinical practice. Each pattern is associated with a particular oscillation mode of the bubble, and changing between patterns is achieved by changing the sound frequency. Each microstreaming pattern also generates different shear stress and stretch/compression distributions in the vicinity of a bubble on a wall. Analysis of the micro-PIV results also shows that ultrasound-driven microstreaming flows around bubbles are feasible mechanisms for mixing therapeutic agents into the surrounding blood, as well as assisting sonoporative delivery of molecules across cell membranes. Patterns show significant variations around the bubble, suggesting sonoporation may be either enhanced or inhibited in different zones across a cellular surface. Thus, alternating the patterns may result in improved sonoporation and sonothrombolysis. The clear and reproducible delineation of microstreaming patterns based on driving frequency makes frequency-based pattern alternation a feasible alternative to the clinically less desirable practice of increasing sound pressure for equivalent sonoporative or sonothrombolytic effect. Surface divergence is proposed as a measure relevant to sonoporation.     

多层膜磁性微泡的非线性声振动特性

超顺磁性氧化铁纳米粒子与造影剂微泡结合形成磁性微泡,用于产生多模态造影剂,以增强医学超声和磁共振成像.将装载有纳米磁性颗粒的微泡包膜层看作由磁流体膜与磷脂膜组合而成的双层膜结构,同时考虑磁性纳米颗粒体积分数a对膜密度及黏度的影响,从气泡动力学基本理论出发,构建多层膜结构磁性微泡非线性动力学方程.数值分析了驱动声压和频率等声场参数、颗粒体积分数、膜层厚度以及表面张力等膜壳参数对微泡声动力学行为的影响.结果表明,当磁性颗粒体积分数较小且a≤0.1时,磁性微泡声响应特性与普通包膜微泡相似,微泡的声频响应与其初始尺寸和驱动压有关;当驱动声场频率f为磁性微泡共振频率f0的2倍(f=2f0)时,微泡振动失稳临界声压最低;磁性颗粒的存在抑制了泡的膨胀和收缩但抑制效果非常有限;磁性微泡外膜层材料的表面张力参数K及膜层厚度d也会影响微泡的振动,当表面张力参数及膜厚取值分别为0.2—0.4 N/m及50—150 nm时,可观察到气泡存在不稳定振动响应区.     

Liquid-column sustainment driven by acoustic wave guiding

We report on the formation and sustainment of liquid columns with aspect ratios much larger than the value at the onset of the Rayleigh-Plateau instability. This is achieved by using the passive feedback of the radiation pressure applied on the column surface by an acoustic beam injected at the upper end of the column and guided along it. We develop an analytical model that describes the coupling between the acoustic wave guiding and the balance between acoustic and capillary surface forces exerted on the column surface and find a satisfactory agreement with the experiment.     

Coherent polarization driven by external electromagnetic fields

The coherent interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with an ensemble of polarizable, identical particles with two energy levels is investigated in the presence of external electromagnetic fields. The coupled non-linear equations of motion are solved in the stationary regime and in the limit of small coupling constants. It is shown that an external electromagnetic field may induce a macroscopic occupation of both the energy levels of the particles and the corresponding photon states, governed by a long-range order of the quantum phases of the internal motion (polarization) of the particles. A lasing effect is thereby obtained, controlled by the external field. Its main characteristics are estimated for typical atomic matter and atomic nuclei. For atomic matter the effect may be considerable (for usual external fields), while for atomic nuclei the effect is extremely small (practically insignificant), due to the great disparity in the coupling constants. In the absence of the external field, the solution, which is non-analytic in the coupling constant, corresponds to a second-order phase transition (super-radiance), which was previously investigated.     

Qubit entanglement driven by remote optical fields

We examine the entanglement between two qubits, supposed to be remotely located and driven by independent quantized optical fields. No interaction is allowed between the qubits, but their degree of entanglement changes as a function of time. We report a collapse and revival of entanglement that is similar to the collapse and revival of single-atom properties in cavity QED.     

声表面波驱动的非接触式转动马达

在研究摩擦力驱动的接触式转动马达的基础上,本文研制了一种由声表面波驱动的非接触式转动马达。这种马达的定子选用128°YX-LiNbO₃晶体,在晶体表面光刻两对叉指换能器,由叉指换能器在定子表面激发两列平行而反向传播的声表面波。定子表面铺一层流体,转子就浮在流体表面。当定子表面有两列平行而反向的声表面波传播时,流体层中就会产生平行而反向的声流,这种黏性流体的声流运动就会驱动转子运动。实验上测定了马达的角速度随驱动电压、流体层厚度以及流体运动黏性系数变化的结果。同时,我们也发现,在相同工作频率下,非接触式转动马达的阈值电压远小于接触式。     

Bubble translation driven by pulsation in a double-bubble system

The pulsation and translation of two cavitation bubbles are studied numerically in sound field. The results show that bubbles' pulsation driven by the sound makes them translate. Different pulsations lead to different translations. Two bubbles will be mutually attractive to each other if they pulsate in phase, while they will be repulsive if out of phase. Furthermore,the secondary Bjerknes force for small phase difference is attractive, and it becomes repulsive for other phase differences up to π phase difference due to the nonlinear effect, although the attractive strength between two bubbles is much larger than the repulsive strength. Finally, one bubble pulsation and the other bubble stationary make the bubbles repel each other.     

Interferences in parametric interactions driven by quantized fields

We report interferences in the quantum fluctuations of the output of a parametric amplifier when the cavity is driven by a quantized field at the signal frequency. The interferences depend on the phase fluctuations of the input quantized field and result in splitting of the spectrum of the output, and thus the recent observation [H. Ma, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 233601 (2005)10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.233601] of interferences in the classical domain have a very interesting counterpart in the quantum domain. The interferences can be manipulated, for example, by changing the amount of squeezing in the input field.     

超快强激光驱动的原子分子电离

强场电离是超快强激光与物质相互作用时发生的基本物理过程。强场驱动原子分子的电离电子动力学过程发生在一个光学振荡周期以内,是在阿秒时间尺度上研究电子超快动力学的典范。不仅如此,强场驱动下的超短电子束还为探测原子分子的结构及其超快动力学提供了重要的技术手段。文章首先简要阐述了超快强光场中原子分子电离的基本物理图像,在此基础上,介绍了近年来基于强场电离电子开展的超快过程研究的几个例子,最后简要讨论了强场电离研究的未来可能发展方向。     

Modeling non-spherical oscillations and stability of acoustically driven shelled microbubbles

The oscillation and destruction of microbubbles under ultrasound excitation form the basis of contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging and microbubble assisted drug and gene delivery. A typical microbubble has a size of a few micrometers and consists of a gas core encapsulated by a shell. These bubbles can be driven into surface mode oscillations, which not only contribute to the measured acoustic signal but can lead to bubble destruction. Existing models of surface model oscillations have not considered the effects of a bubble shell. In this study a model was developed to study the surface mode oscillations in shelled bubbles. The effects of shell viscosity and elasticity on the surface mode oscillations were modeled using a Boussinesq-Scriven approach. Simulation was conducted using the model with various bubble sizes and driving acoustic pressures. The occurrence of surface modes and the number of ultrasound cycles needed for the occurrence were calculated. The simulation results show a significant difference between shelled bubbles and shell free bubbles. The shelled bubbles have reduced surface mode amplitudes and a narrower bubble size range within which these modes develop compared to shell free bubbles. The clinical implications were also discussed.     

Hot-electron transport in graphene driven by intense terahertz fields

We investigate transport properties of graphene driven by intense terahertz (THz) fields, considering impurity, acoustic-phonon and optical phonon scatterings. The time evolutions of drift velocity and electron temperature are analyzed and the phase shift and distortion of drift velocity are demonstrated. We also examine the terahertz photoconductivity, finding that the suppression of linear dc mobility is greatly enhanced with decreasing frequency of the radiation.     

Single-electron transport driven by surface acoustic waves in quasi-one-dimensional channel

Fourier grid Hamiltonian method is applied to calculate the quantized acoustoelectric current induced by surface acoustic wave (SAW) in a quasi-one-dimensional channel defined in a GaAsAl_xGa_1−xAs heterostructure by split gate. Using simple models for the electrostatic potential barrier and piezoelectric potential, we obtain the first quantized plateau. Moreover, the role of the parameter β, defined as a ratio of piezoelectric potential amplitude to the effective height of electrostatic potential barrier induced by split gate, is also examined during the calculations of the instantaneous ground state energies and the single-electron tunneling probabilities. The flatness of the plateau is also discussed.     

Fiber-optic tomography of acoustic fields

Institute of Applied Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 31, No. 11, pp. 1388–1393, November, 1988.     

Theoretical simulation of a rotary motor driven by surface acoustic waves

A simulation model for theoretically studying the operation behavior of a rotary motor driven by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) is proposed. According to the model, some simulation results are obtained as follows: (1) as the rotor is excited by the SAWs, the motor experiences two phases, i.e., the acceleration phase and the steady phase; (2) the normal vibration amplitude A of SAWs has a very weak effect on the acceleration in the first phase but an enhancing effect on the steady velocity of the rotary motor; (3) as the number of the contact points between the rotor and the stator increases, the motor rotates more steadily; (4) as the rotor radius becomes smaller, both the acceleration and the steady angular velocity become greater. These features are in agreement with the experimental results.     

Liquid metal flows driven by rotating and traveling magnetic fields

Alternating magnetic fields provide a comfortable means for non-intrusive flow control in conductive fluids. However, despite a long history of applications in metallurgy and crystal growth, detailed investigation of the practically important transitional and turbulent flow regimes has become possible only in the last dozen years. The present review gives an overview of this topic with focus on recent experimental and numerical studies of the flow driven by rotating and traveling magnetic fields. We discuss the three-dimensional, instantaneous flow structure as well as the resulting average transport properties for a broad range of parameters, including the superposition of both field types. In addition to the ideal case, the effect of a misalignment of the field with respect to the container axis will be considered, too.