Dependence of sonoluminescence intensity on the geometrical configuration of a reactor cell

Dependence of sonoluminescence (SL) intensity on the geometrical configuration of a reactor cell has been studied theoretically and experimentally The model was a rectangular glass cell settled in a water-cooling bath. Ultrasound was irradiated from the bottom of bath into the cell. Theoretical analysis of transmitted acoustic energy assuming a plane sound wave clarified the influences of distance between the transducer and the cell bottom, thickness of the cell bottom, and water depth in the cell. The theory was examined through intensity measurement of SL emitted in the cell using a photomultiplier tube. Dependence of SL intensity on the above-mentioned parameters agreed with the theory very well. Distributions of SL were also observed using a high-sensitive CCD camera and compared with optically visualized sound fields to show the relationship between the sound field and the SL.