Cavitation in Boxing: A physical approach*

When a closed container filled of water (model of the head) is accelerated by a shock, cavitation bubbles can form and eventually, at their collapse, cause the shattering of the container. Predicting the growth and collapse dynamics of a bubble is crucial in limiting its damages. By conducting simultaneous high-speed imaging of the motion and pressure measurements in the fluid, we show that Rayleigh-Plesset equation accurately predicts the time evolution of the bubble radius. Additionally, we both experimentally and theoretically prove that the pressure distribution in the fluid can be directly derived from the acceleration. Finally, the overall bubble dynamics is found to be governed by the maximal acceleration and the timespan of the shock.