Gas bubble pulsation in a semiconfined space subjected to ultrasound.

In the case of ultrasound application in biological tissues, gas bubbles might form and collapse within cells, in the intercellular spaces and on tissue surfaces. In this work the effect of confined space on the behavior of the gas bubble in the presence of ultrasonic field is studied. A numerical model for bubble pulsation in a planar liquid layer, bounded by two rigid walls, is developed. Surface tension at the interface between the host liquid and the gas in the bubble is considered as well. A mathematical statement and solution technique based on the boundary integral method are presented. In some cases, the bubble divides into two symmetrical parts and high-velocity jets are generated, aimed at the walls. The final velocity of the jets strongly depends on the surface tension of the host liquid. Two new parameters that predict the occurrence of jet formation are developed.