An Experimental Study of Phase Transition in Water and Nitrobenzene Using Light Scattering from a Helium Neon Laser∗

Abstract

A light scattering experiment was conducted in water and nitrobenzene to test the behavior of these two materials as they were made to undergo phase transition. A helium-neon laser was used as the radiation source. The coefficient of the optical absorption and contribution of scattered and absorbed light are computed from the measured transmitted light intensity at different temperatures. These measurements show that the creation and collapse of bubbles due to the laser heating cause more discontinuities in water than in nitrobenzene. Thus, there is indication of a higher order transition in water than in nitrobenzene.

From this study it is concluded that low power density laser irradiation can be used to gain an understanding of bubble dynamics in a liquid.

Key Words:

• Bubble dynamics
• laser irradiation