Ultrafast cavitation induced by an X-ray laser in water drops

Cavitation in pure water is determined by an intrinsic heterogeneous cavitation mechanism, which prevents in general the experimental generation of large tensions (negative pressures) in bulk liquid water. We developed an ultrafast decompression technique, based on the reflection of shock waves generated by an X-ray laser inside liquid drops, to stretch liquids to large negative pressures in a few nanoseconds. Using this method, we observed cavitation in liquid water at pressures below -100 MPa. These large tensions exceed significantly those achieved previously, mainly due to the ultrafast decompression. The decompression induced by shock waves generated by an X-ray laser is rapid enough to continue to stretch the liquid phase after the heterogeneous cavitation occurs in water, despite the rapid growth of cavitation nanobubbles. We developed a nucleation-and-growth hydrodynamic cavitation model that explains our results and estimates the concentration of heterogeneous cavitation nuclei in water.