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Sonoluminescence

Single trapped and sound driven gas bubbles in water can emit light. This phenomenon is called single bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL).
Two questions arise:

1. When does this phenomenon occur, i.e., what is the phase space of SBSL?
2. What is the light emitting mechanism?

Question I can be answered along a hydrodynamical/chemical approach which we elaborated in the recent years: For SBSL to occur, the bubble collapse has to be violent enough to ensure energy transfer from the fluid to the gas in the bubble and strong enough heating of the gas inside the bubble. Moreover, three kinds of instabilities have to be considered:

1. The bubble has to be shape stable.
2. Diffusive stability to distinguish between unstable and stable SBSL.
3. Chemical stability, i.e., molecular gases dissociate, react to water soluble gases and only inert gases remain within the bubble.