Effect of viscosity on bubble and pressure evolution

The formation and evolution of acoustic waves and vapor bubbles as a result of laser irradiation have received considerable attention, particularly with respect to angioplasty, thrombolysis, and ophthalmic laser applications. Pressure waves and bubbles have been implicated in undesirable tissue damage yet they can be beneficially utilized while limiting their negative impact. Either planar or spherical pressure waves can be produced through manipulation of irradiation parameters and geometry. An OPO laser emitting approximately 5 ns pulses of visible radiation was delivered through an optical fiber to a cuvette containing dye dissolved in either water or glycerin. Absorption was varied by altering the dye concentration and wavelength of the OPO laser and the spot size was varied by employing multiple sizes of optical fiber. A nitrogen-pumped dye laser with a pulse duration of approximately 5 ns was used as an illumination source. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer technique enabled visualization and quantification of the pressure waves; bubble evolution was monitored with shadowgrams. A comparison was made between experimental and theoretical results for water and glycerin.