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Bubble Nucleation and Growth Anomaly for a Hydrophilic Microheater Attributed to Metastable Nanobubbles
Published
Author(s)
Richard E. Cavicchi, C Avedisian
Abstract
Nanobubbles on a hydrophilic surface immersed in water are inferred from the response of the surface to two consecutive heat pulses with a variable separation time. Bubble nucleation occurs at specific positions on the surface during the first heat pulse but at lower nucleation temperatures and random locations on the second. An underlying layer of metastable nanobubbles is hypothesized to form on collapse of the bubble from the first pulse. At separation times greater than 1 ms, thermal responses are identical for the two pulses indicating that the nanobubbles have disappeared.
Cavicchi, R.
and Avedisian, C.
(2007),
Bubble Nucleation and Growth Anomaly for a Hydrophilic Microheater Attributed to Metastable Nanobubbles, Physical Review Letters, [online], https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.124501
(Accessed October 10, 2025)