Sonoluminescence is the emission of light from bubbles undergoing rapid changes in pressure within a liquid when irradiated with sound waves.
- Bubble formation: Sound waves passing through a liquid create tiny bubbles (cavitation bubbles). These bubbles exist for extremely short periods.
- Rapid collapse: The sound waves cause the bubbles to expand and then rapidly collapse. During the collapse, the pressure and temperature inside the bubble increase dramatically.
- Light Emission: The extreme conditions within the collapsing bubble cause the gases inside to become briefly ionized (like a tiny plasma). As these ionized gases return to their normal state, they release energy in the form of a flash of light.