Comparison of Xe single bubble sonoluminescence in water and sulfuric acid

Using the equations of fluid mechanics with proper boundary conditions and taking account of the gas properties, we can numerically simulate the process of single bubble sonoluminescence, in which electron--neutral atom bremsstrahlung, electron--ion bremsstrahlung and recombination radiation, and the radiative attachment of electrons to atoms and molecules contribute to the light emission. The calculation can quantitatively or qualitatively interpret the experimental results. We find that the accumulated heat energy inside the compressed gas bubble is mostly consumed by the chemical reaction, therefore, the maximum degree of ionization inside Xe bubble in water is much lower than that in sulfuric acid, of which the vapour pressure is very low. In addition, in sulfuric acid much larger p_\rm a and R_0 are allowed which makes the bubbles in it much brighter than that in water.