Cavitation Nuclei and Tensile Strength of Water

The paper presents a discussion of the possibility of stabilization of cavitation nuclei of very high tensile strength in pure water by liquefaction of gas molecules at the water-gas interface of a gas bubble approaching dissolution. Likewise, the formation of such nuclei by molecular clustering of gas molecules already in solution in the water is considered. Finally, we discuss the origin of skin-stabilized gas bubbles, in particular at solid-water interfaces. Skin-stabilized gas bubbles in diffusion balance can explain most experimental results for water of low to moderate tensile strength, including effects of pressurization and de-pressurization.