While it is still a mystery of how a low-energy-density sound wave can concentrate enough energy in a small enough volume to cause the emission of light, research in acoustic cavitation and sonoluminescence has lead to plausible theories in which the source of light can be experimentally sustained. It has also lead to promising applications, such as ultrasound cleaning and the directed delivery of drugs through the cell walls.
Sonoluminescence is a comprehensive account of the subject from its discovery in 1934 to the present day, including experimental aspects and theoretical origins....