AN INSTRUMENT FOR STUDYING CAVITATION PHENOMENA IN LIQUIDS SUBJECTED TO TENSION GENERATED AB-INITIO AND BY FREE-SURFACE REFLECTION OF COMPRESSIONAL WAVES

An instrument which exploits the 'tube-arrest' technique of subjecting a column of liquid to tension by dynamic stressing is described. In t his apparatus two tension pulses are produced, one ab initio within th e liquid, the other by free-surface reflection of a cavitation-generat ed shock wave. A method of deriving the tensile strength of a liquid f rom measurements of the velocity of these pulses is presented, and pre vious assumptions concerning the origin of tension in the 'tube-arrest ' technique are critically examined. The initial tension pulse is show n not to arise at the bottom of the liquid column as has been assumed hitherto, and the means by which cavitation is exploited to study the production of liquid jets by shock wave-bubble interaction are explain ed.