Biomedical subjects

David J Flannigan

Publications and source records attributed to David J Flannigan.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Plasma quenching by air during single-bubble sonoluminescence.

We report the observation of sudden and dramatic changes in single-bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) intensity (i.e., radiant power, phi(SL)) and spectral profiles at a critical acoustic pressure (P(c)) for solutions of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) containing mixtures of air and noble gas. Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen (N2), and atomic oxygen emission lines are visible just below P(c). At P(c), very bright (factor of 7000 increase in phi(SL)) and featureless SBSL is observed when Ar is present. In addition, Ar lines are observed from a dimmed bubble that has been driven above P(c). These observations suggest that bright SBSL from H2SO4 is due to a plasma, and that molecular components of air suppress the onset of bright light emission through quenching mechanisms and endothermic processes. Determination of temperatures from simulations of the emission lines shows that air limits the heating during single-bubble cavitation. When He is present, phi(SL) increases by only a factor of 4 at P(c), and the SBSL spectrum is not featureless as for Ar, but instead arises from sulfur oxide (SO) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) bands. These differences are attributed to the high thermal conductivity and ionization potential of He compared to Ar.

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PubMed2006

Measurement of pressure and density inside a single sonoluminescing bubble.

The average pressure inside a sonoluminescing bubble in sulfuric acid has been determined by two independent techniques: (1) plasma diagnostics applied to Ar atom emission lines, and (2) light scattering measurements of bubble radius vs time. For dimly luminescing bubbles, both methods yield intracavity pressures approximately 1500 bar. Upon stronger acoustic driving of the bubble, the sonoluminescence intensity increases 10,000-fold, spectral lines are no longer resolved, and radius vs time measurements yield internal pressures > 3700 bar. Implications for a hot inner core are discussed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Plasma line emission during single-bubble cavitation.

Emission lines from transitions between high-energy states of noble-gas atoms (Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) and ions (Ar(+), Kr(+), and Xe(+)) formed and excited during single-bubble cavitation in sulfuric acid are reported. The excited states responsible for these emission lines range 8.3 eV (for Xe) to 37.1 eV (for Ar(+)) above the respective ground states. Observation of emission lines allows for identification of intracavity species responsible for light emission; the populated energy levels indicate the plasma generated during cavitation is comprised of highly energetic particles.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Plasma formation and temperature measurement during single-bubble cavitation.

Single-bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) results from the extreme temperatures and pressures achieved during bubble compression; calculations have predicted the existence of a hot, optically opaque plasma core with consequent bremsstrahlung radiation. Recent controversial reports claim the observation of neutrons from deuterium-deuterium fusion during acoustic cavitation. However, there has been previously no strong experimental evidence for the existence of a plasma during single- or multi-bubble sonoluminescence. SBSL typically produces featureless emission spectra that reveal little about the intra-cavity physical conditions or chemical processes. Here we report observations of atomic (Ar) emission and extensive molecular (SO) and ionic (O2+) progressions in SBSL spectra from concentrated aqueous H2SO4 solutions. Both the Ar and SO emission permit spectroscopic temperature determinations, as accomplished for multi-bubble sonoluminescence with other emitters. The emissive excited states observed from both Ar and O2+ are inconsistent with any thermal process. The Ar excited states involved are extremely high in energy (>13 eV) and cannot be thermally populated at the measured Ar emission temperatures (4,000-15,000 K); the ionization energy of O2 is more than twice its bond dissociation energy, so O2+ likewise cannot be thermally produced. We therefore conclude that these emitting species must originate from collisions with high-energy electrons, ions or particles from a hot plasma core.

Journal Article↗