Symmetric mode resonance of bubbles attached to a rigid boundary

Experimental results are compared with a theoretical analysis concerning wall effects on the symmetric mode resonance frequency of millimeter-sized air bubbles in water. An analytical model based on a linear coupled-oscillator approximation is used to describe the oscillations of the bubbles, while the method of images is used to model the effect of the wall. Three situations are considered: a single bubble, a group of two bubbles, and a group of three bubbles. The results show that bubbles attached to a rigid boundary have lower resonance frequencies compared to when they are in an infinite uniform liquid domain (referred to as free space). Both the experimental data and theoretical analysis show that the symmetric mode resonance frequency decreases with the number of bubbles but increases as the bubbles are moved apart. Discrepancies between theory and experiment can be explained by the fact that distortion effects due to buoyancy forces and surface tension were ignored. The data presented here are intended to guide future investigations into the resonances of larger arrays of bubbles on rigid surfaces, which may assist in surface sonochemistry, sonic cleaning, and micro-mixing applications. (c) 2005 Acoustical Society of America.