Universal Scaling Law for Jets of Collapsing Bubbles.

© 2011 EPFL

Cavitation bubbles collapsing and rebounding in a pressure gradient form a ‘‘microjet’’ enveloped by a ‘‘vapor jet.’’

The Cavitation Research Group led by M. Farhat (LMH - Hydraulic Machines Laboratory ) have performed unprecedented observations of the vapor jets formed in a uniform gravity-induced pressure gradient, modulated aboard parabolic flights. The data uncover that the normalized jet volume is independent of the liquid density and viscosity. A non-dimensional parameter that governs the onset and development of the jet is proposed. This research is part of series of fundamental Zero-G experiments initiated in 2005 with the collaboration of ESA. Besides being on the cover page of Physical Review Letters , another aspect of the present research was also selected by the American Physical Society to be presented to the media during the upcoming 2011 APS-DFD meeting in Baltimore (USA).

D. Obreschkow et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 204501 (2011)

Related link: bubbles.epfl.ch