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

Physics Commons

Share

COinS
 

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.