Teachspin - Sonoluminescence: The Instrument

Sonoluminescence

The basic apparatus, shown to the right, consists of a rectangular cell that houses the water with a high frequency piezo microphone, an ultrasonic horn that is used to deliver acoustical energy to the system, and a control box that contains an integrated amplifier and resonance detection circuitry. The control box also contains active components that can filter and rectify the signals from either the cell's transducer or from the separate high frequency hydrophone probe.

Among the other features in the control box are two separate adjustable power supplies, one for an optional temperature controlled cell and another for an optional photomultiplier, as well as a peak detector for the photomultiplier unit.