Experimental observations of the stress experienced by a solid surface when a laser-created bubble oscillates in its vicinity.

In an attempt to shed more light on the complex process by which cavities interact destructively with rigid boundaries we consider experimentally the interaction of a laser-generated bubble with a nearby solid boundary. To determine the stresses the surface of the boundary experiences, particularly during the final stages of the first collapse phase, we present a series of pressure transducer traces observed when the laser-created cavity is produced close to the solid boundary. Through careful control of experimental parameters we record pressure increases for cavities created between 0.56 and 1.5 times the maximum bubble radius from the solid boundary. Previous studies have shown this to be a complex process which is particularly sensitive to the working parameters of the problem, which is borne out by our observations.