SENSITIVITY OF SONOLUMINESCENCE TO EXPERIMENTAL PARAMETERS

Light-scattering measurements have enabled us to determine that the tr ansition to sonoluminescence is characterized by a bifurcation in the dynamics of a trapped pulsating bubble. These experiments also reveal that in the sonoluminescence (SL) state, changes in bubble radius of o nly 20% are associated with factors of 200 in the intensity of emitted light. This sensitivity of SL suggests that it originates from the ki nd of singular behavior that arises from the implosion of a shock wave . Theoretical extrapolations of this model to energy scales for fusion are discussed.