Microbubble generation process and temperature influence

Equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) was employed to simulate the microbubble generation of liquid argon molecules in a microcanonical ensemble. The Newton's equation of each atom was solved according to a 5th gear predictor-corrector finite difference integrator algorithm, which has better energy conservation characteristics. This study provided the phase configuration of molecules during the process of bubble growth based on the data of the potential, kinetic and total energy at any instant. As well, the influence of the temperature in each gas-liquid equilibrium state was investigated. From simulation results, the bubble growth could be divided into four processes: clustering period/nucleation period, isothermal growth period and constant pressure growth period, and the nucleation time is about 0.2 × 10^-11 s. Temperature doesn't have effect on the time of clustering and nucleation. When the superheat degree is larger than 22 K, the local densities of liquid-gas area fluctuate evidently, and the interface changes unstable because of that the former bubble breaks up.