Event Title
Faculty Mentor
Steven Liebling
Major/Area of Research
Physics
Description
Sonoluminesence is the conversion of sound into light. We were trying
to see whether the intervals between the light flashes that had been seen
would be affected by the temperature of the water . To determine this, we
essentially used an RLC circuit where a flask of degassed water with piezoelectric
transducers glued to either side acted as the capacitor. We used
the piezos to pump a sinusoidal wave through the water and at circuit and
acoustic resonance, small bubbles inserted into the water, stabilized in the
center of the flask, collapsed and emitted blue light. This experiment uses
the method outlined in W.A. Steer’s article, Sonoluminescence experiment:
sound into light, combined with the information given in S.J. Putterman’s
Scientific American article, Sonoluminescence: Sound into light. The other
cited works have also helped with the experiment and with understanding
the accepted explanations for sonoluminescence. Due to difficulties with the
experiment, we have not been able to make any measurements using Photomultiplier
tubes or laser, so we have outlined how to construct the experiment
so that single bubble sonoluminescence can be drivent. In conclusion,
this experiment did not bare the results that we expected and I was not able
to produce sonoluminescence, however, I have attempted to contribute to
future sonoluminescence studies by outlining the issues that I had and how
they could be resolved.
Included in
Sonoluminescence: Sound into Light
Sonoluminesence is the conversion of sound into light. We were trying
to see whether the intervals between the light flashes that had been seen
would be affected by the temperature of the water . To determine this, we
essentially used an RLC circuit where a flask of degassed water with piezoelectric
transducers glued to either side acted as the capacitor. We used
the piezos to pump a sinusoidal wave through the water and at circuit and
acoustic resonance, small bubbles inserted into the water, stabilized in the
center of the flask, collapsed and emitted blue light. This experiment uses
the method outlined in W.A. Steer’s article, Sonoluminescence experiment:
sound into light, combined with the information given in S.J. Putterman’s
Scientific American article, Sonoluminescence: Sound into light. The other
cited works have also helped with the experiment and with understanding
the accepted explanations for sonoluminescence. Due to difficulties with the
experiment, we have not been able to make any measurements using Photomultiplier
tubes or laser, so we have outlined how to construct the experiment
so that single bubble sonoluminescence can be drivent. In conclusion,
this experiment did not bare the results that we expected and I was not able
to produce sonoluminescence, however, I have attempted to contribute to
future sonoluminescence studies by outlining the issues that I had and how
they could be resolved.