Positional stability and radial dynamics of sonoluminescent bubbles under bi-harmonic driving: Effect of the high-frequency component and its relative phase.

The use of bi-frequency driving in sonoluminescence has proved to be an effective way to avoid the spatial instability (pseudo-orbits) developed by bubbles in systems with high viscous liquids like sulfuric or phosphoric acids. In this work, we present extensive experimental and numerical evidence in order to assess the effect of the high frequency component (PAc(HF)) of a bi-harmonic acoustic pressure field on the dynamic of sonoluminescent bubbles in an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. The present study is mainly focused on the role of the harmonic frequency (Nf0) and the relative phase between the two frequency components (φb) of the acoustic field on the spatial, positional and diffusive stability of the bubbles. The results presented in this work were analyzed by means of three different approaches. First, we discussed some qualitative considerations about the changes observed in the radial dynamics, and the stability of similar bubbles under distinct bi-harmonic drivings. Later, we have investigated, through a series of numerical simulations, how the use of high frequency harmonic components of different order N, affects the positional stability of the SL bubbles. Furthermore, the influence of φb in their radius temporal evolution is systematically explored for harmonics ranging from the second to the fifteenth harmonic (N=2-15). Finally, a multivariate analysis based on the covariance method is performed to study the dependences among the parameters characterizing the SL bubble. Both experimental and numerical results indicate that the impact of PAc(HF) on the positional instability and the radial dynamics turns to be progressively negligible as the order of the high frequency harmonic component grows (i.e. N ≫ 1), however its effectiveness on the reduction of the spatial instability remains unaltered or even improved.

Stable tridimensional bubble clusters in multi-bubble sonoluminescence (MBSL).

In the present work, stable clusters made of multiple sonoluminescent bubbles are experimentally and theoretically studied. Argon bubbles were acoustically generated and trapped using bi-frequency driving within a cylindrical chamber filled with a sulfuric acid aqueous solution (SA85w/w). The intensity of the acoustic pressure field was strong enough to sustain, during several minutes, a large number of positionally and spatially fixed (without pseudo-orbits) sonoluminescent bubbles over an ellipsoidally-shaped tridimensional array. The dimensions of the ellipsoids were studied as a function of the amplitude of the applied low-frequency acoustic pressure (PAc(LF)) and the static pressure in the fluid (P0). In order to explain the size and shape of the bubble clusters, we performed a series of numerical simulations of the hydrodynamic forces acting over the bubbles. In both cases the observed experimental behavior was in excellent agreement with the numerical results. The simulations revealed that the positionally stable region, mainly determined by the null primary Bjerknes force (F→Bj), is defined as the outer perimeter of an axisymmetric ellipsoidal cluster centered in the acoustic field antinode. The role of the high-frequency component of the pressure field and the influence of the secondary Bjerknes force are discussed. We also investigate the effect of a change in the concentration of dissolved gas on the positional and spatial instabilities through the cluster dimensions. The experimental and numerical results presented in this paper are potentially useful for further understanding and modeling numerous current research topics regarding multi-bubble phenomena, e.g. forces acting on the bubbles in multi-frequency acoustic fields, transient acoustic cavitation, bubble interactions, structure formation processes, atomic and molecular emissions of equal bubbles and nonlinear or unsteady acoustic pressure fields in bubbly media.

Impedance analysis of cultured cells: a mean-field electrical response model for electric cell-substrate impedance sensing technique.

In this paper we present a model to describe the electrical properties of a confluent cell monolayer cultured on gold microelectrodes to be used with electric cell-substrate impedance sensing technique. This model was developed from microscopic considerations (distributed effects), and by assuming that the monolayer is an element with mean electrical characteristics (specific lumped parameters). No assumptions were made about cell morphology. The model has only three adjustable parameters. This model and other models currently used for data analysis are compared with data we obtained from electrical measurements of confluent monolayers of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells. One important parameter is the cell-substrate height and we found that estimates of this magnitude strongly differ depending on the model used for the analysis. We analyze the origin of the discrepancies, concluding that the estimates from the different models can be considered as limits for the true value of the cell-substrate height.