The dynamic interaction of a shockwave (modelled as a pressure pulse) with an initially spherically oscillating bubble is investigated. Upon the shockwave impact, the bubble deforms non-spherically and the flow field surrounding the bubble is determined with potential flow theory using the boundary-element method (BEM). The primary advantage of this method is its computational efficiency. The simulation process is repeated until the two opposite sides of the bubble surface collide with each other (i.e. the formation of a jet along the shockwave propagation direction). The collapse time of the bubble, its shape and the velocity of the jet are calculated. Moreover, the impact pressure is estimated based on water-hammer pressure theory. The Kelvin impulse, kinetic energy and bubble displacement (all at the moment of jet impact) are also determined. Overall, the simulated results compare favourably with experimental observations of lithotripter shockwave interaction with single bubbles (using laser-induced bubbles at various oscillation stages). The simulations confirm the experimental observation that the most intense collapse, with the highest jet velocity and impact pressure, occurs for bubbles with intermediate size during the contraction phase when the collapse time of the bubble is approximately equal to the compressive pulse duration of the shock wave. Under this condition, the maximum amount of energy of the incident shockwave is transferred to the collapsing bubble. Further, the effect of the bubble contents (ideal gas with different initial pressures) and the initial conditions of the bubble (initially oscillating vs. non-oscillating) on the dynamics of the shockwave-bubble interaction are discussed.

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High intensity pulsed ultrasound, interacting with microbubble contrast agents, is potentially useful for drug delivery, cancer treatment, and tissue ablation, among other applications. To establish the fundamental understanding on the interaction of a microbubble (in an infinite volume of water) with an ultrasound pressure field, a numerical study is performed using the boundary element method. The response of the bubble, in terms of its shape at different times, the maximum bubble radius obtained, the oscillation time, the jet velocity, and its translational movement, is studied. The effect of ultrasound intensity and initial bubble size is examined as well. One important outcome is the determination of the conditions under which a clear jet will be formed in a microbubble in its interaction with a specific sound wave. The high speed jet is crucial for the aforementioned intended applications.

The complex interactions of two and three spark-generated bubbles are studied using high speed photography. The corresponding simulations are performed using a 3D Boundary Element Method (BEM) code. The bubbles generated are between 3 to 5 mm in radius, and they are either in-phase or out-of-phase with one another. The possible interaction phenomena between two identically sized bubbles are summarized. Depending on their relative distances and phase differences, they can coalesce, jet towards or away from one another, split into smaller bubbles, or 'catapult' away from one another. The 'catapult' effect can be utilized to generated high speed jet in the absence of a solid boundary or shockwave. Also three bubble interactions are highlighted. Complicated phenomena such as bubble forming an elliptical shape and bubble splitting are observed. The BEM simulations provide insight into the physics of the phenomena by providing details such as detailed bubble shape changes (experimental observations are limited by the temporal and spatial resolution), and jet velocity. It is noted that the well-tested BEM code [1,2] utilized here is computationally very efficient as compared to other full-domain methods since only the bubble surface is meshed.

High intensity pulsed ultrasound when interacting with microbubble contrast agents is potentially useful for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, cancer treatment and tissue ablation. To establish a fundamental understanding of the interaction between a microbubble with a sound wave, numerical simulations are performed using the Boundary Element Method (BEM). Bubble dynamics in terms of shape changes in time, maximum bubble radius obtained, jet velocity and translational movement of the bubble center is studied. The effect of varying ultrasound intensity and initial bubble size is examined as well. One important result is the determination of the conditions under which a clear high speed jet will be formed in the microbubble when it is hit by a specific sound wave. The jet is crucial to the success of the biomedical applications mentioned. Also, it is shown that one cycle of ultrasound consisting of a single negative part followed by a single compressive part would be the optimized wave form because collateral damage by re-expanding remnants of a collapsed microbubble by the subsequent negative pressure wave is prevented. The BEM model has greater computational efficiency in terms of speed and storage space over other full domain methods because only surface meshing is needed.

Experimental observations and numerical simulations (based on the boundary element method) concerning an oscillating bubble near a flexible (thin) membrane are presented in this paper. The bubbles are created using an underwater electrical spark discharge. It is shown that the presence of a membrane can have a profound influence on the behavior of a bubble.