Cloud cavitation induced by shock-bubble interaction in a viscoelastic solid

Abstract

We experimentally study a shock-bubble interaction problem in a viscoelastic solid, which is relevant to shock wave lithotripsy. A gas bubble is produced by focusing an infrared laser pulse into gelatin. A spherical shock is then created, through rapid expansion of plasma that results from the laser focusing, in the vicinity of the gas bubble. The shock-bubble interaction is recorded by a CCD camera with flash illumination of a nanosecond green laser pulse. The observation captures cavitation inception in the gelatin under tension that results from acoustic impedance mismatching at the bubble wall. Namely, the shock reflects at the bubble interface as a rarefaction wave, which induces the nucleation of cavitation bubbles as a result of rupturing the gelatin.