Evidence for the emission of 'alkali-metal-noble-gas' van der Waals molecules from cavitation bubbles.

Visible emission spectra in the vicinity of resonance lines of alkali metals were recorded from acoustically cavitating aqueous and 1-octanol solutions (acoustic frequency: 20 kHz; solutes: Ar (or Kr), NaCl, RbCl or rubidium 1-octanolate). The maximum intrabubble density deduced from line shift data was approximately 5 +/- 0.7 x 10(26) m-3, i.e. approximately 18 +/- 2 amagats. It is demonstrated that (i) the emission from alkali metals arose from the gas phase of bubbles, (ii) the blue satellite and line distortions were induced, respectively, by B2 sigma+ - X2 sigma+ and A2II - X2 sigma+ transitions of 'alkali-metal/rare-gas' van der Waals molecules and (iii) excitation/de-excitation mechanisms are chemiluminescent in essence.