Generation of subharmonics in acoustic resonators containing bubbly liquids: A numerical study of the excitation threshold and hysteretic behavior

Abstract

In this paper we study the generation and behavior of subharmonics in a bubbly liquid confined in an acoustic resonator, through numerical simulations carried out at finite-amplitude acoustic pressure. Several configurations in terms of resonator length and driving frequency are considered here. Our results show that these frequency components, created from a higher-frequency signal at the source (ultrasound), are due to the nonlinearity of the medium at high acoustic-pressure amplitude and to the configuration of the resonator (geometry and boundaries). We also show that they have an amplitude-threshold dependence, which is in concordance with the literature. The response of these subharmonics to different sequences of pressure amplitudes also reveals the hysteretic nature of the bubbly liquid.