Basic phononic diagnostic measurements in fluid columns

A pre-selected 21 MHz ultrasonic transducer was used to produce characteristic pulses, arbitrarily similar to the quantum-mechanical concept of a phonon, describable as having a single-frequency modulated Gaussian shape. The propagation of such pulses in water-acoustic channels was studied in conjunction with nonlinear regression analysis and an Erlangian model for size distribution of molecular aggregates. Experimental results obtained distinguish between surface and bulk phenomena and provide quantitative measures of an average molecular cluster size in water. The relevance of the Erlangian model, in studying the near front of the channel, provides a significant distinction between the behavior of pure water and Ringer's solution of water. The inherent consistency between the various results re-enforces the theoretical approach, implying new venues for future research.