The role of gas in ultrasonically driven vapor bubble growth

In this paper we study both experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of an ultrasound-driven vapor bubble of perfluoropentane (PFP) inside a droplet of the same liquid, immersed in a water medium superheated with respect to the PFP boiling point. We determine the temporal evolution of the bubble radius with ultra-high speed imaging at 20 million frames per second. In addition, we model the vapor–gas bubble dynamics, based on a Rayleigh–Plesset-type equation, including thermal and gas diffusion inside the liquid. We compare the numerical results with the experimental data and find good agreement. We underline the fundamental role of gas diffusion in order to prevent total recondensation of the bubble at collapse.