Abstract
Analysis of multi-bubble sonoluminescence (MBSL) is difficult because of the interaction between bubbles. As a result, discussions of the experimental results are phenomenological. On the contrary, in the case of single-bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) we can observe the luminescence light from only one bubble at stable conditions and the interaction from other bubbles are omitted. Analysis of SBSL phenomena gives useful information for understanding of the results obtained for MBSL in various kinds of solutions. In this work, hydrophobic effects on SBSL of water in the presence of aliphatic alcohols (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol and t-butanol) is studied and compared with those obtained for MBSL reported by Franz Grieser et al. In the presence of alcohol the sonoluminescence intensity decreased with increasing alcohol concentration. A good correlation was found to exist between the decline in the sonoluminescence intensity and the Gibbs surface excess of the alcohol at the air/water interface. Possible mechanisms responsible for the different behavior in the sonoluminescence intensity in the presence of the alcohols are discussed.
