Laser generated cavitation near a curved surface

Summary form only. Damage to solids in liquids exposed to cavitation is an important topic in a range of fluid-mechanical systems such as hydraulic pumps and propellers. Cavitation damage is generally believed to be due to non-symmetrical collapse of bubbles, on or near the liquid solid boundary. Individual damage sites often grow with time. This may be simply because many cavities are formed in the same location or perhaps irregularities in the surface encourage liquid flow leading to further cavity production and further damage. Most previous work has been on smooth flat surfaces. This paper describes experiments to investigate the growth and collapse of laser generated cavities in water near curved surfaces.