MIE SCATTERING FROM A SONOLUMINESCING AIR BUBBLE IN WATER

A single bubble of air in water can emit pulses of blue-white light th at have durations of less than 50 ps while it is oscillating in an aco ustic standing wave. The emission is called sonoluminescence. A knowle dge of the bubble diameter throughout the cycle, and in particular nea r the time of sonoluminescence emission, can provide important informa tion about the phenomenon. A new Mie scattering technique is developed to determine the size of the bubble through its expansion and collaps e during the acoustic cycle. The technique does not rely on an indepen dent means of calibration or on accurate measurements of the scattered intensity.