It's called sonoluminescence. No one knows exactly why this occurs, but there are a lot of different hypotheses. One of the most common explanations is that when the bubble collapses, the air inside gets pressurized. Increasing the pressure on a gas increases the temperature of the gas. During sonoluminescence, the temperature inside the tiny bubbles becomes so great that the gas begins to glow.
Another hypothesis is that the collapsing bubble lends energy to prolong the life of the otherwise quickly annihilating photons that are spontaneously generated in a vacuum. Sonoluminescence could also be the product of the way photons can pop into and out of existence; the sudden collapse of the bubble making the photons noticeable to those in the macro world.
Inside a Collapsing Bubble: ...These studies have shown that extraordinary conditions (temperatures up to 20,000 K; pressures of several thousand bar; and heating and cooling rates of >1012 K s−1) are generated within an otherwise cold liquid...
ReplyDelete(in http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.physchem.59.032607.093739 )
Juro Kouril Impressive I'd say ;)
ReplyDeleteConversion of sound energy to light energy.
ReplyDeleteThe molecules set up a harmonic vibrational pattern of sufficient frequency to cause electromagnetic waves to be formed and emitted. No one knows why ... yet. But it is so.
Very cool.
David Chako Agreed
ReplyDeleteIt is called sonoluminescence.
ReplyDeleteScience has figured out fusion in stars. The temperatures in these bubbles are temperatures seen only in stars. Further study is mandatory and focused on the mechanics involved. It may be a new way to generate free energy under controllable conditions.. Even the manner in which the bubble expands before collapsing on itself , then "exploding" into a beam of light is similar to that of a dying star.
ReplyDelete