A theory for stable bubble oscillations in high pressure sound fields is presented. It is based on the strong influence of the surface tension on the dynamics of small bubbles and takes into account rectified diffusion and the resonancelike response of small bubbles to very strong acoustic pressure amplitudes. This theory provides an explanation for the existence of small, stably oscillating bubbles that have been observed in experiments on sonoluminescence.

• Received 26 June 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.227